The Humble Prince
by Alastar the hawk
Summary: A man wakes up to find he's inhabiting the body of cartoon horse who wasn't exactly Mister Popular judging from how shocked they are when he says things like 'please' and 'thank you'. This is my first attempt at a story wrote in English so I apologies in advance for any grammar errors. For a cleaner version just visit FimFiction, and search for the title.
1. Hellish Mondays

**Hellish Monday**

As the first rays of the sunday morning appeared on the horizon, two maids were locked in a hushed argument on their journey down the hallways of the prestigious Canterlot Castle. The ponies, one yellow and the other a shade of deep purple, usually went about their work with a sense of pride and duty.

Today, however, this sense was cast out the window. Each was trying to decide who would be the sacrifice of the day. Something odd considering that the palace in which they worked was the center of ponykind, a beacon of freedom and justice, such concepts of ritual sacrifice being long outdated. Yet here they were.

No, things in the capital were not the marble pristine of elegance so many associated it with. Underneath the veneer lay a dark secret; one that only the staff and the princesses knew all too well.

Hence, the argument. For the the loser here would attend to one particularly infamous pony. One who all the staff knew both feared and reviled.

One pony that, if it wasn't for the fact that he was a direct descendant of their diarchs, chances were that he would have been thrown in jail, beaten up repeatedly and/or exiled from Canterlot and maybe all of Equestria, a loooooooong time ago.

"Okay, okay, what about this? You take over today and in exchange I will…foalsit your kid, free of charge for one whole month?" The maid with yellow fur and white short and slightly messy mane and tail, offers to her co-worker.

"One whole month?" The purple-coated maid said incredulously. "You mean starting tonight, knowing full well that Pearl has just started growing her horn? Which means that you're willing to put up with twenty-four hours, seven days a week, of non stop crying and uncontrollable magic?" A trace of a sardonic grin plain on her lips.

"Y-Yes." Harsh as it was, she was desperate. "What do you say Mist?"

"Not. A. Chance. Clean Breeze." Mist stated with finality in every syllable. "I'd rather face _that_ than deal with our 'beloved' prince," she hisses with venom in her voice..

"Ple-heh-heeeese Mist!" begged Clean Breeze. "I already chewed the arrow last week." Making her eyes as big as she possibly could. Being sure to quiver her lip. And pulling her ears back

Years of catering to the prince had hardened Mist, her heart was unmoved by her fellow's puppy dog eyes. "And you only took _**one**_ of those days, Breezie." Mist glared at her. "I took the **whole** week with him before that. At this rate, if I have to spend one more day with Blueblood, I am going to strangle him, consequences be damned! Not even if that means, a one way ticket to the sun"

"But I can't stand him!" Clean whined, on the verge of tears.

"I know," Mist said, taking Breezes hoof. She gave it a gentle pat before looking her square in the eyes. "But we all have to pony up and endure it; and let's be real, you have been weaselling out your duties for far too long." She jabbed an accusing hoof into Clear Breeze's chest. "Don't think I don't know about your little 'deals', Breezie."

Clean Breeze shifted uncomfortably. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know you offered all kinds of deals with other staff." She looked sternly at her friend, "By Celestia's sun, I hope you really didn't offer that poor colt that just started as a butler yesterday a date in exchange for switching jobs."

Breeze's blush did nothing to hide her guilt, nor did her weak smile as she searched for an excuse. "Well, you know, I… I was just thinking…since he seems to like me, and was kind of cute…"

"Just do your job, Breezie," Mist said with a sigh. "And believe me, we got it easy. Blueblood just expects us to bring him stuff, then nod and smile." She added a saccharine smile, and the sickly sweet stretch and hollow eyes showed just how practiced it was for her. "It's the princesses who have it rough." She said with nod of her head toward the princesses' quarters, which were conveniently enough located as far away from Blueblood's wing as possible.

Clear furrowed her brows. "Really?"

"You'll see soon enough." Mist solemnly nods before continuing. "For now, just take a deep breath, close your eyes and keep reminding yourself, 'They will give me a raise for this'."

Suddenly the two came to an abrupt halt. "Here we are." Mist, not daring to look, instead closed her eyes, the silence in the air akin to that before an execution.

Clear stopped cold as her head slowly turned to see a set of double wooden doors with an image of none other than the prince himself carved into them. To any visitors or guards this door was nothing more than just one of the prince's manifestations of his gigantic ego. For the staff that actually had to go inside it was the door to the _**Underworld**_

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Mist and Clean Breeze said simultaneously, their personal mantra.

"By Celestia, I really hoped you were joking when you first told me this was the entrance to Tartarus." Clean said, tearing her eyes from the door to look at her friend. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to…" Her chance at making one last effort to get out of this, disappeared as the maid discovers her friend to be long gone by the time she turned around.

"What!? Mist, you can't…! Actually I can't really blame you; I would have probably done the same." Clean sighed in defeat before looking at the door frame once more, mentally preparing herself.

"I will get a raise, I will get a raise, I will get a raise..."

Clean kept repeating that mantra as she gathered as much courage as she could muster before opening the door to meet the devil himself.

_Let's get this over with..._

With a steady march and practiced smile, the maid walked toward the curtains and, using her magic, pulled them apart so the sunlight could bathe the room in gold, earning a yelp from the prince when the rays struck him square in the eyes.

"Good morning prince," Clean said professionally, only to receive a pillow to the face for her efforts, a livid stallion glaring at her soon after. His fur was as white as snow; his horn and body was slightly larger than the common stallion; his mane, though a little messy at the moment, was a beautiful shade of gold and he has just the the right amount of muscle on him. Overall he was the living image of perfect health, the stallion admittedly very attractive. Unfortunately, his personality was anything but that.

"How dare you interrupt my beauty sleep, you buffoon!" he shouted. "Is common etiquette not taught to you airheaded maids anymore?"

"My apologies, Prince Blueblood, but as you requested―"

"Oh, forget it." Blueblood said with an exaggerated roll of the eyes. He rolled out of his opulent bed and headed toward the restroom.. "There is no way for a commoner like you to comprehend the problems a pony of the royal family must face on a daily basis."

Clean grit her teeth. "Of course, sir," she said as she started making his bed.

"Oh, Dulcy, if only you knew how much I envy your simplistic style of life." Blueblood said. There was a pause before the prince burst out laughing. "Oh, by my dear aunty, I crack myself up." he said before closing the door.

"Yeah, you're hilarious, prince."

_Kill me. Kill me now._

Later that day, as Blueblood enjoyed the beauty of the sun in the garden while tanning, he ate another grape and spat the seed of it into Clean's face as she held the prince's beverage, her seed-covered face carefully emotionless.

Monday night saw Blueblood host a private party in the royal ballroom with the most snobbish of nobles in Canterlot, most of whom only claimed to be friends with the prince as an excuse to bump elbows with royalty and show off their wealth.

"Ah! My friends, I'm so happy to see you could make it tonight. Please, come, come, leave your coats with the help," Blueblood haughtily said, pointing at Clean Breeze with a smirk.

"The what?" Clean's eyes widened in shock before she was buried beneath a mountain of tacky coats and sweaters.

"And hurry with the snacks! Chop chop!" Blueblood ordered as he led the guest inside.

On Tuesday, the prince, trying on a new suit in front of a large mirror, turned to a tailor who was sweating bullets. "I say, this new suit must have cost a small fortune and a lot of time to make. Am I right, my good sir?"

"Y-You are correct, Excellency nothing but the finest of materials for royalty."

"Good, I will take ten," he said with pride. "Including this one. Dulcy, pay the kind stallion," Blueblood proclaimed as he leave the store. Clean, trying her best to keep standing under the mound of clothes, jewellery and other things the prince bought all around the city as he used her like a mule, growled.

"Yes…sir," she huffed, hooves trembling.

And then came Wednesday.

"**SOLD!** To the prince that didn't let anypony else compete at the auction," the auctioneer announced with annoyance. Every participant gave Blueblood the stink eye as he waved at them in victory. He suddenly stopped and cleared his throat as he stared expectantly at Clean.

"Ah,, bravo!" she fake cheered, clapping for him as he resumed his showboating.

Thursday: "No, please don't! Don't make me go!" Clean cried her eyes out as two guards dragged her toward the prince's quarters. Her hooves leaving marks on the ground as she struggle.

Friday: "Ah there is nothing like some exercise don't you agree Dulcy?" Blue blood tells while riding a two person bike, only that it's modify so he is leaning comfortable while Clean does all the work.

"Right…Prince," she said, trying her hardest to reach the end of the park.

"Oh what the hell, I think I earned it. let's do one more lap!"

Clean could only whimper in response.

Saturday: "Money to the orphans? Oh, clearly you jest. I mean, I love those small, dirty, and smelly blood suckers as the next stallion, but let's face it, sister. If no pony wanted them, what are they worth?" he declares, making a group of nuns to gasp in shock. Clean at this point was banging her head against a wall.

Finally, Sunday came. Once her shift was over, Clean rushed to her room and jumped into her bed, holding her pillow to her face as she let out the biggest scream possible into it.

_This is us getting it easy?! Oh by the stars, what kind of horrible, despicable hell do the princesses have to face every single day?_

Clean despaired while looking through a window to see the moon rising on the horizon.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take, Celestia. We need to do something about that nephew of yours," Luna said. Celestia was in the process of putting her tiara and breast plate on an equine manikin.

"Oh come on, Luna, don't you think you are overreacting just a little bit? Besides—" once she was done undressing, she turned to look at her younger sister "—Blueblood is your nephew as well."

"And that is the only reason I have yet to exile him from Equestria. No scratch that, sending him anywhere else might as well be a declaration of war to any nations he ends up falling into," Luna huffed. "And I'm _not_ overreacting."

Celestia chuckled and approached her. "Oh, sister, yes you are."

"Tia! He wanted to change my annual constellation construction so, next to my moon, will appear his smug face for everypony in the world to see each time the night arrives…and he almost succeeded!" Fuming, Luna continued pacing the room. "And this is not the only time he has attempted to pull a stunt like this: he claims to love us, but all of he does is mooch, guilt trip or scheme so he can always, ALWAYS get his way."

"Well Lulu, like the saying goes, a few harmless schemes keeps the mind sharp," Celestia retorts.

"Tia, look at me" Luna grabbed Celestia's cheeks so her sister was forced to look her in the eyes. "It's me, your sister. Nopony is listening; you can talk to me. Why do you so adamantly defend that rotten brat of a nephew?"

Celestia's mask wavered until it finally broke, and she pulled away from her sister. She sighed."Fine. You win, Luna. You are right, he is a petulant little monster, and he really needs to be taught a lesson. I'm not blind."

"Then why do you keep allowing it, sister?"

"Because its my fault he ended up like this!" Celestia blurted out while closing her eyes.

Luna could only blink a couple of times to that revelation. "uh…what?"

"Luna, please don't be mad at me, but... what happened to Blueblood was something I never planned. It's my fault..."

"Tia, why don't we start from the beginning, then. What exactly happened? How could you possibly be to blame for Blueblood's callous behavior?" Luna asked as she approached once more.

Celestia sighed and looked up at the night stars through her balcony.

"I suppose it all started twenty-three years ago. The day of your return was fast approaching and the idea of having you back made me giddy with excitement" Celestia said, a smile briefly dancing across her lips before it disappear completely. "But then…"

"Then what? What happen?" Luna asked.

"Then tragedy struck." Looking at the moon, a single tear fell from the monarch face. "Formal Attire, and Royal Treatment—Blueblood's parents were possibly my last relatives still alive. Over the years I saw all our family tree slowly dwindle and wither as time passed, so knowing I still had them was an anchor that kept me going. Unfortunately for others, that family was portrayed as a dark omen which foreshadowed something terrible..."

Luna's eyes widened. "Nightmare Moon."

With a nod Celestia continued "To this day, the case of my cousins remain a mystery. The only thing that the investigation found was somepony thought, that my relatives were aiming to 'resurrect' the Nightmare and help her bring eternal night." Celestia's hoof heated up enough that the floor underneath her began to bubble. "They weren't even merciful. And poor Blueblood…he was only three at the time." Celestia couldn't contain her tears anymore.

"By my moon..." Luna said, not believing what she was hearing.

"I don't even know if Blueblood even remembers their faces; the only thing I knew was that he was completely alone and I was all the family he had left. I…I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could make things right and protect him for my cousins. So that is what I did, for years I did nothing but attend to his needs and wishes, never denying him any request. And at first it worked fine." Celestia wiped her eyes.

"He was such a nice little colt, there was even this little game where he sit on my belly and close his eyes." She chuckle at the memory. "I even hosted a day court like that, and not a single pony ever noticed him. His fur was an exact match to mine."

"Then what happened? How could somepony so sweet and innocent turn into such a loathsome brat today?"

"I… I just couldn't say no to him. Each year you were so close to returning, and I was so happy that you two would finally meet that I really didn't haven't in me to refuse his requests. I thought it was just a phase, but then the requests started became more and more demanding, not to mention ridiculous. And whenever I tried to say 'no' I just kept seeing Royal and Treatment, looking at me in disappointment, judging me and telling me that they were gone because of me. I was…I was powerless."

"Sister, please, their deaths weren't your fault."

"Perhaps, but by the time I saw what I was doing, what I was twisting him into, it was too late. My kind nephew was gone, and thanks to my own insecurities I'm now cursed with this sociopath that is beyond my help."

"Tia...," Luna whispered as she approached. She nuzzled her sister."You have suffered for far too long because of me."

"Don't say that, Luna. None of this was your fault either."

"No Tia, it was the result of both our shortcomings: because of my jealousy and your insecurity, the only other living relative we have has turned into an icon that reminds us of our failures."

"Some nights I see your sky and think 'What I would give for a second chance'. A chance to be a family. Not a 'royal family' but a family, with flaws and arguments, but ultimately a family that actually loves each other."

"I'm sure Blueblood actually loves us, sister, in his own twisted and bizarre way, but he loves us none of the less. I'm sure of it," Luna soothed. "But yes, I do share that wish of yours, sister; I wish I could have seen that nephew you speak so highly of."

"Oh, I'm sure you would have loved him Lulu," Celestia said with a small smile. "He was mischievous at times, but Blueblood used to have the biggest of hearts." Celestia looked into the stars and something caught her eyes. "Luna, look! A shooting star!"

"Quick Tia, make a wish!"

Celestia chuckled at that "Aren't we a bit too old to wish upon a star, sister?"

"You are never to old to have dreams, Tia," Luna argued back.

"Fair enough." Celestia nods and both sisters closed their eyes as they made their wish.

Clean Breeze and Mist approached the room of Blueblood the next day.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Mist! I don't think I could take another second with that royal pain without ripping my mane out."

"Geez, don't get ahead of yourself, Breezie. I'm only helping you today because I've been in your horseshoes before. After the first week alone with that headache you end up in a murderous rage."

"Did that happen to you?" Clean asked in shock.

Mist nodded. "Once I tried to drown him while he was bathing and need a 'female touch' to apply the shampoo right."

"…Please tell me you are joking."

"Oh Breezie I wish I was," Mist muttered as they reached the door. Both mares sighed in defeat.

"Abandon all hope ye who…" Both mares start their mantra but are interrupted by a scream coming from the room.

"What the hay!?" Mist shouted. The sounds of a struggle and objects being tossed around could be heard on the other side.

"Is he under attack!?" Clean asked, panicking.

"Don't jump to conclusions, maybe he is having a nightmare," Mist replied. "But just in case, lets stay on the door frame, so if he is being attacked we can go and alert the guards."

Breeze nod and they both open the door, and scan the room until they found Prince Blueblood wrapped in his own bed sheets on the floor, squirming around like a fish and screaming. "Oh god, oh god my hands, what happened to my hands!?"

"Uh, my prince?" Mist asked, the first to recover from the oddity of the situation. "Are you okay?"

The prince looked at them in surprise and then began to wriggle away in panic. "What are…where am…Who are you?" He asked in complete terror.

Both maids were only able to blink a couple of times in confusion before looking at one another.

Monday


	2. A Blue Dawn

**A Blue Dawn **

The morning started as it often did for the diarch of the dawn. A sweet cream stuffed donut and a newspaper, before the hustle and bustle of Day court.

Normally a staunch professional, Princess Celestia would have bathed and been clad in her regalia by now, but due to a last-minute cancellation, she found herself a small window of free time in this morning, enough that she was allowed to kick up her hooves and ease into the morning for once.

Her comfy pink robe, a birthday gift from Cadence last year as well as her silver satin slippers, was a luxury she was allowing herself, today.

_By my sun, why can't every morning be like this?_ Celestia whined in her head as she finished her donut.

She was in the middle of drinking her coffee when an earth pony stallion with grey fur and black mane and tail entered the room and gave her a small bow. "Apologies for disturbing your breakfast, Princess, but I have urgent news."

"Oh, my." The princess folds her newspaper and look at her butler. "What is it, Flicker?"

"It's…" Flicker looked away, chewing his lip. "…It's Prince Blueblood, Princess."

That earned a groan and roll of the eyes from the princess before she returned to her newspaper. "What did he do this time?"

"It's not much of what he did, rather more of what is he doing?"

"Hm?" Celestia turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"He is acting strange, Your Highness, more than usual. Two maids found him this morning in his room wrestling with his bed sheets and yelling something about missing limbs and how he lost the ability to walk," Flicker explained.

Celestia rolled her eyes once more and took a gulp of her coffee "Oh, Flicker, I think you were just subject of a prank. My nephew was probably taking advantage of those poor mares and was trying to make them carry him around like a trophy or something, " she said with a smile. "I will have a talk with him later."

"That is what I thought at first too, Your Highness, but he's continued to put up such a convincing act that I got to worry, so I sent him to the infirmary to see what was wrong, and that is when the weirdest thing happened. He… thanked me."

Right on cue Celestia spit her coffee right into the newspaper and look at Flicker in complete shock, decorum forgotten. "He… _thanked_ you?"

"Yes."

"My nephew?"

"Yes."

"Prince Blueblood?"

"I know! Princess, this might be serious. For a moment I thought he was a changeling, but when the guards used a scan spell on his body, they confirmed that it was indeed him. I just don't know what is happening. Your Highness, you need to see him immediately."

"I couldn't agree more, Flicker," Celestia said as she stood up. "This couldn't possibly be Chrysalis; that would be the saddest infiltration attempt imaginable, and Thorax wouldn't think of pulling this kind of prank, so there must be something else at stake here and by my crown I'm going to find out what it is." Determined to shed light on this conundrum, Celestia left the dining room, making a beeline to the infirmary.

_This is strange. My nephew suddenly forgetting how to walk and showing respect? It's almost like the wish I…No, that is not possible. There is no way that star did this. Get your head in the game, Celestia, this could be a new villain trying to take over Equestria… somehow using Blueblood to do so. I need to get to the bottom of this!_

A pegasus stallion with a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck returned to his office carrying a clipboard and checking x-rays and diagnostics.

"Okay Your Highness, we are almost done with all the tests. Now I only need to ask…" The doctor had to stop himself when he saw how the infamous Prince of Canterlot was currently struggling to stand up as one of the maids that brought him was encouraging him to take small steps like he was a giant colt.

"It's okay, sir, you are almost there," the maid told him with a smile as the prince in question glanced about like he was standing on lava. He took small, shaking steps, almost tripping on more than one occasion.

_He doesn't even remember how to walk?_ The doctor thought in confusion as he watched the scene unfold.

"I…I think I'm doing it, Mist! I'm actually doing it!" he gleefully said before tripping. He would have tumbled if not for the maid who managed to catch him in the last second.

"Good work, sir! You are almost ready; soon you will be able to walk again without any problems."

Blueblood just smiled and nodded, not caring or understanding how ridiculous he looked.

"Ahem!" The doctor cleared his throat, catching the attention of both ponies. Mist suddenly let the prince go and backed off with a blush of embarrassment on her face while Blueblood, without anyone supporting him, ended up falling onto the ground.

"Prince Blueblood!" The maid panicked and rushed to help him up again. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Blueblood said with a groan, massaging his head "Thanks for the assist, Mist."

The staff in the room went silent, staring at him in complete shock.

_He said it again!_ Mist screamed in her head, still not believing her ears.

"What?" Blueblood eventually asked with a raised eyebrow as he leaned on a table for support.

"N-Nothing! Nothing, Your Highness, it's just... kind of surprising, is all. You've been acting kind of different since this morning."

Blueblood suddenly grew nervous. "R-Really? Sorry, I just, uh…must be feeling a bit dizzy or something," he said with a fake laugh.

"Anyway," the doctor interrupted, "Miss Mist, would you mind leaving us alone for a moment? I need to ask the Prince a couple of questions."

"Yes, of course, Dr. Caliber. I will be in the hallway if you need me, sir," Mist said.

Blueblood waved as she departed. "I will try not to take too long!"

Both ponies looked at him questioningly for a moment, but Mist soon recovered and left while Caliber helped the prince sit on the table.

"Okay, as I was saying, I got the results for your tests right here, Prince Blueblood; everything seems in order: no fractures, illness or concussions of any kind. Physically speaking, you are perfectly fine."

"That is good to hear."

"That being said, there are still some worries I would like to address, so if you don't mind I have a few questions I would like to ask."

"Sure, go ahead doctor," Blueblood said.

Caliber continued to look at him with some intrigue.

_No boasting about being the image of physical health? No snarky comments? No demeaning my profession? No talking my ear off? Not to mention, he's friendly and respectful. Do I really want to help him return to his old self?_

Caliber took his clipboard and flipped some papers before taking a pen and pressing it against the clipboard. "Okay, first question: Do you know what day it is?"

"Hmmm." Blueblood tapped his hoof against his chin. "Monday?"

Caliber looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

Blueblood looked left and right before nodding with confidence. "Telling you."

The doctor stared at him with an emotionless expression. "Prince, if you want me to help, I need you to be honest with me. Do you or do you not know what day it is?"

"Well, okay, I don't know."

"Alright." Dr Caliber nodded and checked his list.

"Do you know what your name is?"

"Blueblood."

"Good." He checked again.

"Do you know where we are right now?"

Once more the prince looked to his left and right until he spotted the window in the office and took a small peak. "I would like to say somewhere in Europe?"

"Somewhere in what? Prince if you don't know the answer just say so, there is no need for you to start making up names," Dr Caliber said, shaking his head and checking another point on the list.

"Right, I will keep that in mind," the prince said with a nervous smile

_Okay so I can safely say that I'm not on Earth. That is nice. That is nice. For now, let's just keep playing along, and try not to end up in the looney house._

"Okay then, moving on. This is the last question: Before waking up, what is the last thing you remembered?"

Blueblood closed his eyes as he recalled his last memories before waking up. Memories of screams, fire, and pieces of a building collapsing around him flashed in front of him, forcing him to jerk back in fear, startling the doctor.

"I…I just don't know; I think I was having a nightmare. Waking up, then going back to sleep. Everything is too foggy," he groaned, holding his head.

"It's okay, Prince." Caliber placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You don't need to force yourself to remember."

Blueblood nodded and looked back at him

"So what happens next?"

"Now you wait," Caliber replied as he marched to the door. "I need to do one more thing before I can safely allow you to leave."

"Is…Is something wrong?" Blueblood nervously asked.

"Oh, no. Do not worry, Highness, everything is fine," Caliber reassured him. "I just need to take these results to be studied further; it will not take too much time, so please wait there."

"Ah…well, okay."

Caliber nodded and exitted the room.

Moments before on the hallway

As soon as Mist left the infirmary, her friend Clean Breeze confronted her with a hundred questions. "So? Has he finally lost it?"

"Breezie!" Mist scowled. "How could you say that? The poor colt is scared as Tartarus in there."

"Yeah, but we are talking about a colt named Prince Blueblood," Breeze remarked.

"Even so, the moment he looks us in the eyes. Those puppy eyes he gave us. It was like looking a poor colt lost in the park. I just didn't have it in me to leave him like that. I suppose raising Pearl, has left some motherly curse on me," Mist confessed with some degree of embarrassment.

"So that is why you were so quick to re-teach him how to walk?" Breeze asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Say what you want; even though he is a grown stallion, seeing him put forth the effort and listening to what I have to say for once was both satisfactory and to a degree almost cute."

"Geez. Wow, Mist, I didn't know you were into those sort of plays," Breeze said with a smirk.

"Oh, poor, naive Breeze. Trust me, you would understand once you mature."

"Hey!" Breeze glared at her while Mist only chuckled at her outburst.

"So, what do you think will happen to him?" Breeze asked once her anger faded and looked into the infirmary door.

"I honestly don't know, Breezie. I really would love if this new Blueblood was here to stay, but if he is not able to fit into society, Celestia knows what will happen to him."

"I say this is divine punishment. Karma was sure to reach him sooner or later; I say that he got what he deserves," Breeze said with the memories of last week still fresh on her memory. "But yeah, I hope he doesn't end up in the looney house. As much as a jerk he was, not even he deserves to end up there."

"Don't worry, Breezie. He will be ok; I'm sure the Princess would not allow that to happen."

Right on cue said princess walked toward the infirmary followed closely by the head butler, Flicker. The moment they saw them, the maids offered small bows to the princess.

"Your Highness," both said at the same time

"At ease, my subjects," Celestia told them in her classic motherly voice as Flicker gave the maids the stink eye, while they looked up at them.

"And can I know the reason why are you two are standing right here, instead of attending to your duties?" Flicker asked..

"Ah, well, Mister Flicker, you see, today we were supposed to look after Prince Blueblood, but since he is like that…"

"I thought I was clear when I told you that you were dismissed of your current duty and instead were to go clean the empty guest rooms," Flicker scolded.

"But the prince asked us to stay!" Mist retorted.

"At ease, Flicker," Celestia ordered, stopping him before he could continue and then addressed the maids. "Now ladies, I'm very thankful for your concern for my nephew and you can rest assured he is in good hooves now. So you two may take your leave without any worry."

"But Princess―" Breeze took a step forward "―You don't get it, the prince as he is right now, can't even walk on his own."

"What?" Princess Celestia asked in complete surprise.

"I'm afraid it is far worse than that, Princess," Dr. Caliber announced to them as he emerged from the infirmary with a grim expression. Once he looked at the princess he gave her a short bow before addressing her. "If I have to describe the Prince's medical condition in one word right now, I will have to say it is 'enigmatic'."

"What do you mean, Dr. Caliber?" Celestia asked, confused, and he proceeded to give her the X-Ray and blood samples that were taken. "All the tests I made came back negative: he doesn't have any type of concussion or fracture; his magic stream is on the normal level; his brain activity is stable; the spell scans made on him came true; and there is no sign of poison or hypnosis on his being. For all intents and purposes, he should be perfectly fine."

Celestia looked at the results before looking back at the doctor waiting for him to continue. "And yet when I quizzed him with the basic mental tests, he failed every single question. Princess, I can confirm it. He not only doesn't even know how to walk or even stand, he doesn't know where he is how to read or write, how magic works or even who he is. I fear he only knows his name because the maids yelled it at him this morning."

"So you are saying he is now like a baby?" Breeze asks with a raised eyebrow and the doctor shake his head.

"No, his basic motor functions are still there, that is why he still knows how to talk, and understand us. He is perfectly capable of function once he re-learns how to walk, read and write." He pinches the bridge of his nose with his hoof. "I don't know how or why, but for what I have seen, it seems like his brain simply started over. Right now his mind is a blank page."

"So this is like some kind of amnesia?" Mist asked.

"That is the most logical conclusion at the moment, yes. And as such and until his mind starts to settle in I suggest we let him rest and slowly reintroduce him to Equestria."

"And there it is," Celestia tells with an exasperated sigh, earning the surprise of everyone.

"I knew he was up to something, but I just couldn't place my hoof on it. Now I get it; he wants to weasel his way out of his duties while at the same time earning our pity so I agree to future requests. Oh, that nephew of mine, ever the actor," she said with a shake of her head. "He is making the act of his life I will grant, but by my mane, he is wasting it on something so petty."

"Princess, I can assure you, this is not an act," Caliber reproached.

"Oh, Doctor, please don't feel bad. Blueblood can be extremely good when it comes to acting; even I have been made a fool of his schemes in the past," Celestia said with a smile. "You need to give him credit though; he can really commit, can't he?"

"You mean to tell me that all of what he is doing was an act to skip all of his royal duties?" Mist asked with confusion as Celestia only nodded.

"Don't worry. I will clear the air soon enough. Just let me have a word with my nephew,"she darkly said as she entered the room.

"Blueblood! We need to talk," Celestia said with a stern voice, making the stallion in question jump and slightly back away. "Ah, h-hi, Miss." He gave Celestia a nervous smile as he waved at her.

"Oh, cut the act, would you?" Celestia growled. "I know you are faking it, Blueblood, so why don't we save this song and dance, and skip right into what you want. More money? Do you want to rent my throne room for your snobbish friends? Some expensive tour around Equestria?"

"What? No!"

_What the hell was wrong with this pony? _Blueblood thought to himself.

"Then what?" Celestia demanded.

"I swear, I really don't know. Why are you so mad at me?" he fearfully asked.

"Why am I so mad? Are you truly going to pretend that you don't know who I am?" Celestia pressed on, determined to squeeze the truth from her deceiving nephew, even though the act he was putting on was starting to convince her too as she was beginning to have second thoughts.

"No, I'm sorry! I don't know."

"She is the princess of all of Equestria, you inconsiderate brat!" Flicker tells as he enters the room too. "And I suggest you address her as such."

**"P-P-PRINCESS!?"** Blueblood shouted in alarm as he got down from the table and tried to bow to her, or rather jumped off the table and literally threw himself to the ground in an attempt at grovelling, failing miserably as he still didn't haven't complete control of his feet.

The display was enough to make both the Princess and the butler flinch at the feeling of the impact, and how he didn't even attempt to cover his face as he started to shake like a chihuahua in front of her.

"I'm sorry, princess! I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to get mad!"

"Um, Blueblood? What are you doing?" Celestia asked, completely lost on what was happening. Her anger faded, soon being replaced by confusion.

_Seriously, now this doesn't amount to anything other than to drag his dignity to the ground. What is your end game nephew?_

The Prince for his part lifted his head slightly as he looked at her, fearing for his life "B–Bowing to my princess?"

"You do know that you are ALSO a prince right?" Flicker tells him with a raised eyebrow.

The blood of the Prince froze in that instant as he was slowly understanding what was happening, where he was making a fool of himself in front of what was essentially a family member, who didn't particularly like him, and for how she talked to him, was strict and temperamental. Not only that but how it appeared that this Blueblood pony needed her help to get money, chances were that she outranked him and if she didn't believe his story, she would only need to say the word and he would be put in an asylum, or even worse she could declare him dangerous and put him in the dungeon, maybe even order his execution.

He needed to think fast, think of something, anything to save his skin, something of use that could calm this angry mare. Thinking as quickly as he could, he slowly sat up, convincing himself that the next words that came from his mouth could might as well be his last. He was scanning for everything in the room any clue, any ray of hope that might save his life until he saw her fur and then noticing that it matched his own perfectly. It was an incredibly risky gamble, but at that moment it was the only thing that he could come up with.

"I'm sorry, mom. Please don't be mad at me," the Prince told Celestia in a melancholic voice as he sniffed and looked at the floor, closing his eyes and praying that by some miracle he did actually defuse the situation.

Unknown to him, those exact words not only were the one thing Celestia wasn't expecting to hear that day, but also served as a trigger for a memory she thought was long gone on a chapter of her life and made her blackout of reality for a brief moment as she relived it in detail.

It was the night of the funeral of Blueblood's parents, it was a rainy and stormy night outside and the Princess was destroyed when she saw how her little nephew, who only was 3 at the time, was trembling and crying his little eyes out in his sleep. When trying to comfort him, she brought him closer into her belly and used her wing as a blanket while humming a small lullaby to calm him down. It was small at first but soon the trembling stopped and when she looked back, she found him sound asleep as he was hugging her tight like she was his personal teddy bear.

It was at that moment that even unconsciously, he said his first words:

"Mom."

Celestia was both moved and teary as the poor colt was not saying that word out of happiness but rather, of longing wishing to be next to his real mother and trying to reach out for her on his sleep with his little hooves. It was that night that Celestia made the promise to ensure that Blueblood would never be denied of anything else, and subsequently the first and only pure moment he had with her.

As the memory faded away and she returned to reality, she didn't see the bratty nephew she cursed herself for creating, but rather the scared little colt she once new once again shaking like a leaf and asking for his mother, yet this time, he was addressing her directly. There was no way Blueblood knew about that night; she never told him, he never recalled knowing it, and he always, **ALWAYS**, called her 'Aunt' or 'Aunty' the moment he started to talk properly. She never admitted it, but part of her heart broke when she came to terms with the fact that she would always be just 'the aunt'.

So for this Blueblood to suddenly appear and say that to her only meant one thing:

"By the stars, its true," Celestia proclaimed, making Blueblood open his eyes and look at her "You really have lost all of your memories. You are pure again," she told him with a smile and teary eye as she stared at him like she just saw a lost civilization come back to life.

Blueblood couldn't believe what was happening and how this pony just passed from being about to rip him in half into this teary happy mare just for one sentence, he just couldn't bring himself to believe that sentence was enough to save his skin and the shock was enough for him to collapse right there and then.


	3. The First Steps

**The First Steps**

After finishing reading yet another love letter addressed to her while eating some blueberry ice-cream from a plate, the monarch of the night yawned in exhaustion and stretched her body and wings before smacking her lips together, her regalia already tossed aside for comfort. Contrary to what her citizens or even her sister knew, the princess of the night actually enjoyed some of her sister's sun rays before calling it a day, just as much as a pony would enjoy a part of her night, before heading to bed. She simply didn't have much to do and looking after the dreams of her subjects often times required a lot of effort on her part. So, by the time her duties were over there wasn't much energy left in her.

To spend what little of her time remained she often tried to distract herself with some nice reading, some origami, or as it was in this case, a nice laugh at pretenders wanting to mask their underlying wishes for power or money, disguising them as 'actual' true love letters. They believed that one thousand years of isolation had somehow made Princess Luna naive in the game of politics.

_Oh, this one is by far the best. This stallion didn't even know how to write a love letter. It is, word for word, a poem I myself wrote five or six hundred years before my banishment… and it was addressing my favorite ice-cream flavor!_

The princess chuckled at the utter lack of effort the noble had put into his letter, before yawning.

_Well, I think that is enough humor for one day._

She crumpled the piece of paper and put her now empty plate on to her nightstand before going to bed, using her magic to place a blanket on top of her. Her eyes were already growing heavy as her consciousness slowly began to fade away.

Unfortunately, before sleep could finally reach her, a loud knocking on the door woke her up with a scare, making her leap up and fall down from her bed.

"Luna! Open the door! Open it now!" It was the voice of her fanatical sister calling for her on the other side. Luna just grumbled and glared at the door as she stood up, untangling herself from the sheets.

_It's ten in the morning, sister... Equestria had better be under attack._ Luna grumbled as she approached the door. "I hear you, Celestia! You can stop knocking now!" Luna called out as she opened the door and looked at her sister with an angry face. "Ok sister, where is the fire?"

Luna barely had a chance to process what was happening as her sister invited herself in and pulled her into a hug while spinning both of them around. "It happened Lulu! It really happened! Our wish came true!" Celestia exclaimed in excitement as she continued to spin her poor sister around.

"Tia, unless you want me to vomit, I suggest you put me down this instant!" Luna yelled in both alarm and anger as she was starting to feel nauseous. Luckily for her, Celestia got the message and put her on the ground.

The moment her hooves touched the floor the princess of the night tried to clear her head as she regained her bearings. With a quick shake of her head she managed to do so. Mind free and clear, she focused on the situation and then looked to her sister.

"Now let's start this again, **slowly**. What is all the commotion and why couldn't wait until night court?" she asked, crossing her front hooves.

The good spirit that possessed Celestia moments ago returned with a renewed vigor as she clapped her hooves in excitement. "Luna, the wish we made last night, do you still remember it?"

"It was eight hours ago, dear sister," She mentioned in both sarcasm and annoyance.

"Well, it came true!" She chirped with a smile that easily rivalled that of the Element of Laughter.

Luna, meanwhile, just kept staring at her, unamused, until finally she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I know what you are thinking, Luna, but I swear it's true! Blueblood is no longer the jerk you know. He is a completely different stallion!"

"So, let me see if I got this right; You decided to wake me up in the middle of the morning by marching right into my room and spinning me like a windmill without my consent... for some kind of prank that our nephew is trying to pull on you?"

"What?" Celestia looked at her sister in confusion until she felt herself being teleported back to the hallway just outside of the door to her sister's room, which was promptly closed and locked behind her.

"Do not buy his act, sister. He is trying to play you. And please, don't wake me up again unless Canterlot is under attack," Luna's voice called out from the other side of the sturdy wooden door before the sound of her hooves, followed by the movement of blankets and springs, indicated to Celestia that her sister had just gone back to sleep.

_Wow, was I really like that just a moment ago?_ Celestia thought to herself as she looked at the door with a measure of guilt. _Oh, my poor nephew. It's no wonder he passed out. I must have scared the fur off of him._

With a dejected sigh Celestia decided to comply with her sister's request and let her have some sleep. She couldn't actually blame Luna for being grumpy. She, herself, would have been the same if Luna had barged into her room in the middle of the night. At the moment, though, there were more urgent matters to attend to. Specifically, day court… which, to her displeasure, was about to begin. So for now, she needed to attempt to perform her duties and hope that her nephew doesn't relapse into his old ways by the time Luna wakes up.

Meanwhile, in Blueblood's room

The prince woke up with a groan as he sat up and came to the conclusion that he was back in the same room where everything started.

"Good morning, Prince Blueblood." Looking to his right, he saw a familiar looking purple maid cleaning the room with a feather duster that she made float using her magic. "Did you sleep well?"

_How is she…? Oh, right. Doctor Caliber told me magic exists here._ Blueblood thought before answering. "Y-Yeah, I think so, good morning to you too... Mist, was it?" he asked with a hint of intrigue in his voice.

The maid nodded, approaching his side. "How are you feeling, your highness? The doctor said that you should take things easy for while."

"I'm feeling better, thanks," Blueblood told her with a smile before he began to worry. "Is my mom still mad at me, Misty?"

"Misty?" Mist raised an eyebrow.

"Oh! Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

To his surprise the maid only chuckled and shook her head. "Oh no, your highness, it's just that… I didn't expect you to give other ponies pet names. I really don't mind. In fact, I kind of like it. As for the princess, there is nothing to worry about. She now understands what is happening and is sorry for scaring you." She put the feather duster away. "Also for future reference, Princess Celestia is your aunt, not your mom."

"Wait, really?" The prince asked her in complete surprise. "But her fur and mine are so similar."

"I know, right? I've heard some of the other staff joke that if you were to cover your mane and sit in front of her you would almost vanish," Mist chuckled.

"We would be doomed if we ever got lost in a snow storm, right?" Blueblood joked back.

Mist laughed even harder. _Oh, to tartarus with what Doctor Caliber said about helping recover his memories, I want this new Blueblood to stay!_

Once their laughter died down Mist looked at him again. "Anyway... Doctor Caliber told us that you lost all of your memories, right?"

Blueblood just sighed and looked down. "Yep, I really can't remember a single thing. I'm sorry. In fact, where are we right now?"

"In your room, your highness," Mist answered. "And as for your lost memories, do not worry, prince. I assure you that everypony here on the castle will be more than happy to help you start over," Mist assured him while placing a hoof on his shoulder. "You're even a fast learner, remember? Less than a day has gone by and you almost manage to walk by yourself!"

"Well, it was because I've had such a great instructor." Blueblood looked back at her, making her giggle and blush from embarrassment.

"Oh, you..." She started but then had an idea. "Would you like a tour of the castle? I can tell you what I know about Canterlot and it would be a good way for you to get accustomed to walking," She offered.

"You know what, Mist? That sounds like a great idea," Blueblood responded with a nod before pulling the blankets away from him and, with shaky legs, managed to stand up. "Where do we start?"

"How about the royal garden?" she offered. "It's beautiful at this time of the day, plenty of fresh air, and there are lots of different animals for you to see. My cousin calls it horticultural therapy."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Misty," the prince chirped with excitement as he started to advance toward the door, wobbling on his hooves and almost losing his balance on more than one occasion, until he finally got a steady rhythm. _Okay! I think I found the trick; it's like walking on your hands and knees._

The prince nodded and with some degree of difficulty managed to reach the door with Mist close by in case he needed assistance.

_Okay, so far so good. They think I have amnesia. I just have to keep playing along until I find a way home._

The prince nodded. With growing determination and some navigation help from Mist, they made their way toward the gardens.

Meanwhile at the train station

A pink, tall, and slender alicorn with a mane and tail presenting three different types of colours on it, a small golden tiara on her head, golden horseshoes and a golden breastplate with a shape of a heart on it, stepped out of the train station, carrying a baby filly tucked in her right hoof. Said baby was a pink alicorn with a purple mane and tail featuring a blue streak through them. Once outside, the tall alicorn looked back with some exasperation.

"Shining Armor, please, I beg you, just let the guards take our luggage," The alicorn pleaded as a white unicorn with blue mane and tail approached them, carrying four big and heavy suitcases on his back. He was struggling to keep balance as walked.

"I told you, Cadence, our guards can't defend us if they're too busy carrying our luggage. Besides, I can take this, n-no… p-problem..." He wheezed. It became apparent soon after that the weight was too much to bare and he collapsed on the train platform.

Cadence just rolled her eyes before using her magic to levitate their luggage and giving it to some guards who nodded and took it away, much to the displeasure of Shining. "Caddy, why did you do that? I got…"

Cadence silenced him by giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I know you did, my strong, capable husband. But you're a prince now and we have our own ponies for things like that." She then brought the filly in front of him. "And Flurry doesn't want to give up sitting on her daddy's back, right Flurry?"

Flurry just giggled like a baby and extended her tiny hooves to Shining, waiting to be picked up.

Shining couldn't resist the adorable sight and complied, gathering up his little filly and placing her on his back. "I just can't say no to those adorable eyes," he cooed with a smile before looking at Cadence. "And I know what you did just now."

Cadence just caught him by surprise with another kiss before feigning ignorance, "I don't know what you are talking about, dear."

"Sure you don't," Shining replied with a roll of his eyes as they walked through the streets of Canterlot.

"Oh, I can't wait to see my auntie!" Cadence exclaimed in excitement, prancing along as they continued.

Shining laughed and shook his head at the display his wife was making. "I can imagine. You didn't stop talking about it the whole way here. I think even the train conductor knows why we're here."

"And can you blame me? This could possibly be the first time aunt Celly will be able to add an student exchange program at her school! You know it's one of the most prestigious schools for magic in all of Equestria."

"It sure is," Shining agreed with a nod. "I still think that we should have told her that we built our own in the Crystal Empire when we first broke ground on the project."

"And ruin the surprise? Come on dear, where is your sense of mischief? Besides, she was probably too busy with the news of Twilight opening her own school of friendship."

"Okay, point taken" Shining concluded as they kept moving. "I still find it funny that Twilight thought of building her own school only a couple of months after we opened ours." He then chuckled a bit. "It's almost like building a school is the new trend amongst royalty."

"Are you sure you didn't mention it in a letter to her?" Cadence looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Shining just shook his head, "My lips were sealed. I assure you it was a total coincidence."

"Well, I still think it was very sweet of her," Cadence replied with a smile.

"Yes, it sure was."

After that, the royal couple continued their walk in a blissful silence until they reached the castle. Unfortunately for them, they arrived at a bad time, as Princess Celestia was busy attending day court and Luna was too tired to receive them properly. There was not much else for them to do other than unpack their things and wait for Celestia to finish her duties. With their stuff put away, they decided to take a walk through the castle, mostly for nostalgia and as a way to tell Flurry about all of the adventures they had when they lived in Canterlot.

"…And right here was when your father finally got the courage to gave me his first kiss, Flurry." Cadence finished telling the story of how her and Shining got together as they strolled through the royal garden and approached a cherry blossom tree, where they decided to rest in its shade.

"Come on Cadence, 'Finally got the courage'? That's not how I remember it." Shining defended while he prepared to feed Flury some apple sauce.

"You are right, dear. You also stuttered a lot," she giggled. "Oh, you were so cute back then, 'P-P-Princess M-M-Mi Amore Cadence, I-I-I was thinking, s-s-since this is our third d-d-date, c-c-could I…um give you a small k-k-k-k…" Cadence tried to make an imitation of her husband before Shining stopped her with a red face.

"Ok, I get it. In my defense, I had every right to be nervous. I was barely a recruit at the time and you had already become the Princess of Love!" Shining defended himself, making Cadence giggle.

"And you are still as adorable as you were back then, and it was a very nice kiss," She mentioned, stroking his ego a bit before backing away and serving herself some tea. "You know I'm just teasing you, honey." Cadence moved closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too." They continued to cuddle until they heard hoof steps approaching

"Do you think it's Princess Celestia?" Shining asked.

"Probably... I _did_ ask one of the guards to tell her where we were as soon as she was available," Cadence replied.

They turned around to see that it was instead Blueblood who was walking beside a maid. The royals instantly groaned in annoyance. Even Flurry was matching their faces. She did not like him ever since he declared her to be the 'fruit of wasted royal blood' on her baptism.

"Ugh! What is he doing here?" Cadence asked with a groan.

"Let's just ignore him, dear. Maybe he won't see us," Shining told her, doing his best to ignore the blue pest. Cadence and Flurry were doing pretty much the same... until something caught the attention of the two royals that had them look at Blueblood again.

"…And then the three tribes decided to join forces and put their differences aside to build what is now Equestria." Mist finished her story as they came to a stop in front of an apple tree.

"Wow, and what happened to the Windigos? Are they still around?" Blueblood asked, words laden with curiosity, confusing the royal couple.

"From what I remember, the Hearth's Warming tale says they still exist beyond the Crystal Empire, on the other side of Mount Everhoof." Mist replied as Blueblood stood on his hind hooves to reach up and grab an apple.

_Why is he not using his magic?_ Cadence asked herself, growing even more confused as to what she is seeing. The rest of the family was looking just as confused as she was.

With a chuckle and shake of her head, Mist helped the prince and picked the apple without him noticing. Blueblood cheered in success and dropped back on all fours. Before he had a chance to take a bite a small bunny appeared from some bushes and looked at the prince and maid with some pleading eyes.

Cadence expected the prince to shoo the critter away and just eaten the apple but to her shock he instead gave it a twist and split it in half, which he then offered to the bunny.

"Here you go little one."

The sight was enough to make all three of the royal family to drop their jaws when they saw how he was being nice to another living thing. He was even petting it while it ate!

The maid and prince turned around to leave only to find the royal family looking directly at them. Mist was confused and surprised at seeing the Princess of Love in the garden, wondering why was she here. While Blueblood simply resorted to smile and wave at them.

"Oh, uh, nice day we are having?" He inquired of them with a smile before gathering up the bunny in his hooves, which added to the shock factor of the royals.

"Um, hello? Are you okay?" Prince Blueblood asked them, beginning to worry about how none of them seems to be moving or responding in any way.


	4. A Spoon Of Love

**A Spoon Of Love**

"He lost all of his memories?" Cadence asked in surprise as she alongside with Shining Armor talked to Mist, who asked them for a moment of their time while the prince went play with Flurry not too far from them. The baby in question was opposed to the idea but it only took a couple seconds of baby talk and some tickling from the prince to win over the filly.

"Shhh, not so loud!" Mist harshly whisper to them in alarm before looking back at the prince who was helping Flurry pet a group of bunnies that have gathered around them. "And yes, that is what happened. We don't know why or how it happened, Dr. Caliber gave him every single test that he could think of, but couldn't find a single thing that would have provoked the amnesia. His mind just, started over from scratch, right now he is like a kid seeing the world for the first time."

She looked back at them. "And unless we want the insufferable brat of a prince back, we must be careful not to trigger any of his memories, not until this new prince persona settles in permanently" Mist warned them.

"Isn't that morally questionable?" Shining ask with a raised eyebrow, "it's almost like we're brainwashing him."

"Prince Shining Armor, do you really want the old Blueblood back?" The memories of Mist's standard work day caused her to shudder.

"Of course not!" He quickly interjects, "for some reason, he just keeps telling me and all the other guards 'Clank' every time he needs something."

"And he calls every maid in the castle 'Dulcy'." Mist tells him before calming down. "Look, I know this could be a bit wrong but I say it's a gift from the heavens, the only thing we need to do is welcome this new Blueblood into our lives and all of our nightmares will be gone."

The couple keep staring at her, hearing her proposal in their heads and then look back at the prince who was happily playing with their daughter. Shining eventually smiles and nod while Cadence remains unsure.

"He looks so happy now, I don't think I have ever seen him smile like that, having a smirk or a smug face on him? Oh sure that was like his default face, but honestly happy? I think this is the first time I have ever see him like that." Cadence tells them.

"It will be too cruel to strip him of that," Shining comments as he looks to Mist. "You're right Mist, maybe this is for the best"

"Thank you for understanding your highnesses," Mist tells them before giving a quick bow.

Cadence just looks at her with some worry before looking at Blueblood again. She adopted a determined look and walked toward him, "I need to confirm it for myself." She mumbles aloud

"Princess please, be careful you could…"

"Please miss, I understand your feelings but I had to live with him for far too long. I really need to confirm that this is for real, I just have too." She explained to them with determination.

Shining and Mist looked at one another a bit unsure but comply and let her go to her cousin as he was lifting Flurry up and down while making airplane sounds. She, in turn, had her wings extend, and was making a hero pose as he moves her around.

Closing her eyes and taking a depth breath the princess put on her best facade and approach them with her calmest smile.

"I see you two are having fun," Cadence says gaining the attention of the prince and the baby, the latter reaching up for her.

"Oh, sorry miss," Blueblood tells with some embarrassment as he let go of Flurry so she flies over to her mother. "I didn't mean to bother you," He apologizes, which just keeps confusing Cadence. "Don't worry, it's no bother" She says keeping the mask on.

"So I just talked with your maid Blueblood, I'm really sorry for your loss," She says with some degree of concern. "Must have been pretty scary waking up one day only to realized that you don't recall anything whatsoever"

"Yeah it is," Blueblood tells her as he looks down "Not even knowing how to walk was something that really scared me. In fact, I'm trying not to think what else is gone, I could die of embarrassment right here right now, if it turns out that I can't even well…answer the call of nature." He tells with a small blush.

Cadence just raise an eyebrow, "Funny, you don't seem all to scared"

To the surprise of everyone the prince just chuckles and then looks back at her. "Miss, how would panic help me right now? In any kind of emergency, the first step one must always do is keep calm. Right now, I have no one to turn, nowhere to feel safe, or even have a reason to believe anything you are saying to me. I'm afraid Miss, and that is making me extremely paranoid. Yet I know that if I give into what my emotions are telling me now. I will not have any answers and these fears will just keep getting worse and worse."

Cadence's mask almost cracks with a gasp when she sees him starting to tear up. "I need to believe that I can trust you, and the only way I can do so, is to swallow my fears, stand up, and stand on guard. While at the same time listen to what you have to say until I can really trust what you tell me." He explains as he breathed in minor rage.

Even though he didn't show it, Cadence could feel it. Her cousin wasn't lying, he was scared to the point of being shaken. And even so, the prince just kept smiling at her and trying his best to be friendly. Needless to say, the image itself was surreal and confusing for the Princess of Love, and as much as she wanted to feel sorry for him and try to help him, she just couldn't fully trust him. Blueblood was a schemer and a deceiver. He knew every single tactic of the book of manipulation and how the politic games work inside and out. He could be pulling her strings right now and the princess wouldn't suspect a thing.

Emotions and thoughts were running rampant on the princesses head at the moment as she was at an impasse on what to do next. In the end, there was nothing else to do other than keep up the facade and continue to prove the issue, in search of any flaws on his acting or cracks in his mask.

"That is a really mature and logical way to treat your problem Blueblood, something that is more than worth praising."

"Nah miss, there is nothing to praise about. I'm just a humble p**ony**, trying to keep calm and find a solution to his current problem."

It was brief but Cadence noticed it, some small change of tune in his speech. Just now Blueblood changes a world mid pronunciation like he almost says something that he wanted to keep it a secret. The crack of his acting, now she knew and all her doubts were gone. Her cousin was still there, and he was using her. Why and how was he making such an incredible good act, was something she still didn't know but, it was clear to her. He was pretending.

_Got you_

Cadence internally smirk, thinking she found his scheme. There were still pieces missing but his cousin indeed was hiding something.

"You are giving yourself too little credit Bluey," Cadence tells using a particular nickname that she knew for sure Blueblood hated it. Kind of a trigger word that without fail, always, _always_ resulted on him screaming and throwing a tantrum. "You always knew how to make a convincing act" Cadence smirks and closes her eyes waiting for the slip of her cousin act, fully confident that the nickname was enough to break his mask like weak glass.

Yet, that answer never came, and instead, the words of Blueblood throw her off guard completely.

"Bluey?" Blueblood asks in honest confusion and when Cadence looks back, she saw him staring at her with a raised eyebrow and intrigued face. "Ah excuse me, do we know each other?" He asks with the same expression, leaving the poor princess tongue-tied.

_How is this happening? That nickname was his biggest weakness, no matter how much he tried, or what tricks he used, even when he hypnotized himself, he couldn't escape it. That word should have made him cut the act. _Cadence thinks as she starts to panic and her own mask is the one that starts to crack.

"Well, I…"

"She is your cousin your highness." It was Mist that came to the rescue of her accompanied by her husband. "Prince Blueblood, allow me to introduce you, Prince Shining Armor, and your cousin Princess Mi Amo…" Cadence cover her muzzle with her hoof. "Just Cadence is fine Mist," She says with a nervous smile as Blueblood eyes widen in realization.

"Cousin?! Then that means…" He turns to Flurry who look back at him "Am I your cousin?" He asks her and Flurry just giggle and say something in baby talk.

"Wow, I just didn't expect that!" His surprise soon changes into a smile. "No wonder you were calling me Bluey." He tells Cadence while giving her a hug "Oh Cady, you probably were just so concerned for me, and I not only couldn't recognize you, I basically told you that right now I found it hard for trust you without knowing I hurt your feelings, I'm terribly sorry."

"I…Its ok Blueblood." Cadence says with a nervous voice as she slowly hugs him back, her facade pretty much destroyed at this point.

_Ok its official, now this is awkward_

A guard soon approached the group and saluted, "Your highnesses?"

"Yeah?" Shining turn to him

"Princess Celestia just became available and would like to receive both of you"

"Hey great" Blueblood let go of Cadence "I could go with you and apologize for the confusion back in the infirmary" He was about to leave but Mist approached him. "I would advise you against it prince Blueblood, at least for now, doctors orders," She tells him

"What? Why?" He asks in confusion

"After the scare that resulted in your collapse, Dr. Caliber determine that your head needs to adjust a bit more before you 'confront' the source of stress once more. To prevent any relapses."

"I see. Well if the doctor says so I suppose I can see her later right?"

Mist nod and take her hoof "Come with me your highness there is still a lot of the castle for me to show you. You can talk with the princess at dinner." She tells with a smile.

"Ok," Blueblood and her start to leave but he then turns to the royal couple and then waved at both of them "Hope I see you there, tell my aunt that I say 'hi' ok?"

"Will do Blueblood" Shining says, as he and Flurry wave back. Cadence is still frozen by the hug and now was acting mostly on autopilot.

Once they are gone Shining turns to his wife. "Cady? Are you ok?"

"I… I don't get it" Cadence finally says

"What are you not getting, sweetie?"

"He is both acting and telling the truth at the same time." She snapbacks at him.

"What?" Shining asks with a raised eyebrow

"I mean, Mist was completely right. He doesn't recall one single thing of his past, nothing. Yet the way he is handling things, how he keeps calm, even how he keeps looking at everything with awe and curiosity yet he seems wise and mature at the same time. It doesn't make sense."

"Cadence, he has amnesia. Of course, he would be acting like that."

"You don't understand Shining." She looks back at where Blueblood left. "While we were talking I saw for the briefest of moments, some kind of panic. And not the type of panic of somepony that doesn't know where he is. It was a panic of somepony about to say a secret"

"So you think there is one thing he remembers?"

"Exactly, I think Blueblood mind is not totally gone, but what he does recall, he doesn't want to tell for some reason."

"Well that is unexpected, why would you think he doesn't want to tell any pony?

"I don't know Shining, I simply don't know."

The guard clears his throat and the couple looks back at him, "Your highnesses? The princess?"

"Oh right, right, lead the way." The royals follow the guard how guided them back into the castle. Cadence looking back for a moment

_I don't know what are you hiding Blueblood, but I'm going to find out. And I swear if you are planning something bad, I will stop you._

In the throne room

Celestia waits patiently to the end of her final request of the day as a pegasus with white fur and blue mane and tail with an eye on top of a target for a cutie mark finish his proposition.

"Thank you for your offering Lord Sharp Shot" Celestia stop him by lifting one of her hoofs "But I will have to decline it, right now there is no need for to have an advisor. But rest assure. I always take the suggestion of my subjects into consideration and appreciated the offer" She tells with a practiced smile as the pegasus bow to her.

"As your wish princess Celestia, know that my door will always be open in case you change your mind."

"I will remember it," She tells him and dismisses the stallion who turns around and start to leave right when Cadence and Shining Armor enter the room

"Ah! Cadence, such a pleasure to see you" Celestia tells with a cheery voice as both royals go for a hug but then Celestia detect something different about her niece actions.

"Cadence? Is something wrong?"

"Oh is nothing Aunt Celestia is just…I ran into Blueblood not too long ago"

The moment Sharp Shot hears that his interest is piqued and making a mad dash, hides behind a pillar while trying to hear their conversation.

"Oh, so I gather you know what happened right?"

"It was so unexpected, to say the least"

_Oh what are we have here?_ Sharp Shot thinks with some interest.

"I mean, seeing him act so nice and polite, was something I would gladly welcome and will not deny, wish for, but seeing actually happening really throw me off guard. This is the first time I heard that amnesia could do that to a pony."

_The prince has amnesia?_ Sharp Shot eyes wide in surprise, only to get scared when he feels someone breathing on his neck and the moment he turns around, sees a guard glaring right at him.

"Apologies I will take my leave now."

"Let me escort you" The guard pretends to offer as he glues himself to the noble as they both leave the palace.

"Not to wanting to break the moment or anything but…" Shining tells the royals before addressing his wife "Honey, wasn't another thing you wanted to tell to the princess?"

"Oh right! Thank you so much dear" Cadence mentions as her excitement returns and give her husband a kiss in thanks before looking at Celestia.

"Aunt, you would like to hear that following your example, Shining and I made our own school of magic for gifted crystal ponies!" Cadence tells with a cheer.

"You did?" Celestia tells in excitement "Cadence that is wonderful, I'm so happy for you"

"It's not exactly like yours princess" Shining address "This one is more focusing on the nature in the magic of the crystal ponies and the study of emotions and how it could affect one body" He explains. "The results are actually pretty interesting. We found out that seven spectra of emotions link to the magic of our subjects could be influenced by different spells. We are discovering new magic each day."

"That is incredible, for how long have you had this school open?" Celestia asks with intrigue.

"A couple of months before Twily got hers," Shining tells with a chuckle.

"Wow, that long?"

Cadence nod with a giggle "And that is not the only reason we came to visit" She points out "Tell me, aunt Celestia, how would you like to introduce a new exchange student program into your own school?" She asks her making Celestia gasp

"Really?"

The couple nod "We will be an honor to have some of your students for a while and give ours a chance to expand their horizons in magic" Shining tells with a bow.

"Well, of course, I accept" Celestia cheers in happiness bring the couple for a group hug "You know I always love the exploration of new ways of magic as well as discovering more about pony kind"

Cadence chuckle toward her reaction "We thought you would, so we brought the paperwork so we could make it official."

"You did?" Celestia asks as she ends the hug.

Cadence nods with a smile "Indeed we did, we are going to stay for a couple of days so not to interrupt your day court and take advantage for us to catch up with you and aunt Luna"

"By the way, does she knows?" Shining asked.

"Well, I tried to tell her but, well it's Blueblood who we are talking about. Can you blame her for not believing it without evidence?"

"Not really, even I had to confront him, to make sure and there are still things missing."

"Cady maybe it's for the best, Blueblood is still sorting his thoughts and will tell us when he thinks he is ready."

"Tell us what?" Celestia gets confused by her niece's claims.

"I'm not sure yet," Cadence tells with a shake of her head before addressing her aunt with a serious expression "But something is telling me that Blueblood didn't lose _all_ of his memories." She mentions as she walks to the side and approaches a nearby window where they see the prince and Mist talking as they keep exploring the castle " There is one thing he still remembers aunty, and yet for some reason, he is keeping it hidden."

"I think you are overreacting Cady," Shining tells him, "He told us that he is, mostly afraid."

"Shining is right, even Blueblood remembers something, he is changing for the better. I say that he earned the benefit of the doubt," Celestia mentions.

"Maybe but still, there is something bothering about all of this, and until I can figure it out what it is, I'll keep a close eye on him."


	5. Blue Sunset

**Blue Sunset**

The princess of the night stretched and ruffled her wings while she made her way to her balcony to raise the moon. Once there, she looked to her sister's tower, easily spotting Celestia looking back at her. Sharing a nod, the two sisters shifted their attention to the sky as, lifting their forehooves and making their horns shine, they commenced their daily ritual once more. The day was coming to a close as the moon announced its start and the sky turned orange, then dark, until it ended with the night sky. Stars slowly started becoming visible in the sky, eventually forming the usual constellations for everyone on the planet to see.

With the ritual complete, Luna dropped back on all four hooves and gave a final glance to her sister who smiled at her and then returned to her chambers. Luna followed suit, knowing that she will see her soon enough in the dining room.

Shutting the balcony door, she gathered and donned her regalia. Her pet possum, Tiberius, was beginning to stir to wakefulness in his own bed. He gave a yawn and stretch of his own, making the monarch smile.

"Good morning, Tiberius," Luna cooed while she pet him. "I hope you slept well," The possum licked her hoof in reply.

A knock at the door soon caught the attention of the blue alicorn. "Princess Luna? Do you have a moment?" A stallion's voice called out from the other side.

"Of course, just a moment," The princess replied before putting some food on Tiberius's plate and moving to the door. She unlocked and opened the door to reveal a familiar stallion holding a folder in his hoof.

"Doctor Caliber, how may I help you?" Luna asked confused.

"Just a precaution. I don't want you to scare my patient until he faints, like your sister did," He explains, mumbling the last part under his breath.

However, the princess's sharp hearing was still able to hear the muffled speech. So she pressed on. "What do you mean 'Like my sister did'? Doctor Caliber, what are you talking about?" She asked, even more confused.

The doctor passed the princess a folder. "Here, you should take a look at this."

She did so and started to inspect its contents, her eyes quickly darting over the pages contained within. "I'm sorry, I don't follow. This seems like an ordinary medical report. Everything seems fine here."

"Exactly!" Caliber responded, retrieving the folder again. "This is every single physical test I gave the prince this morning. And it's like you said, Blueblood is in peak condition."

Luna understood what was happening and sighed in frustration, "You too, doctor? Did my sister put you up to this?" She then smiled and cast her gaze around. "Is this some kind of practical joke?"

"I can assure you, your highness, this is no joke. In fact, this is something extremely serious and delicate." His serious tone denied any chance of a joke. The Doctor stepped away from the door. "Please, come with me."

Luna looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but decided to humor the stallion and let the doctor guide her through the hallways.

"The details of how it happened continue to elude me, but the results are more than clear, princess. Your nephew has a very severe type of amnesia. He barely knows how to do basic tasks." He looked back at her. "His condition seems stable enough at the moment, and he has shown some remarkable signs of improvement."

"Or, he is giving us the best act ever performed." Luna fired back.

Caliber could only sigh and shake his head. "Your sister thought the same and, as annoying as it is, I can't really blame either of you. This truly is something that needs to be seen to believe it."

Luna nodded in agreement.

"Then all I can ask is that you try not not scare him too much. He really does have amnesia," He informed. Caliber pulled a loose leaf of paper and passed it on to her. "Please take this, Princess."

"More medical charts?"

"No, just some questions I would like you to ask. I had thought that, as the princess of dreams, you could find more clues on how all this happened while he sleeps. Just be careful in there and do not try to force any memories back."

"Doctor Caliber, are you seriously telling me, the mare that wrote all that is known about dream magic, to be careful while stepping into somepony's dreams?"

"My apologies, your Highness. Just consider it my concern for the well-being of the royal family running ahead of my common sense," He explained. "And do please inform me of any findings you make while in his head. This type of amnesia is something that I truly haven't seen before, and I would rather not let it become an unsolved mystery."

"I will keep it in mind, Doctor Caliber," Luna responded with a nod before taking the instructions with her. "Now go home, Doctor Caliber. It is late and I'm sure your family is surely waiting for you."

The doctor smiled and gave her a nod in reply. "Thank you, your highness. Have a nice evening."

"You too, doctor." After the exchange of goodbyes, the two parted and left in different directions. Luna soon found her way to the dining room where, indeed, her sister was waiting for her with a plate of salad placed on a long wooden table in which the princess was currently occupying one end of it.

"Good evening sister," Celestia offered her a smile. "I hope you slept well."

"Indeed I did, sister." Luna replied as she sat on the other side of the table. "Now that I'm well rested, I would like to address the subject of Blueblood as he appears." She looked at Celestia with a raised eyebrow as a maid- Mist, if she remembers correctly -approached the princess of the night and placed her breakfast in front of her. "Are you still clinging to the idea of our nephew's change of heart? Or did you finally spot his lying act?"

Much to Luna's displeasure, Celestia shook her head with a demure smile. "It is like I told you Luna, our prayers have indeed been answered and I can only consider it a miracle. Our nephew has changed for the better. He is once again the stallion I wanted you to meet."

"Tia, please! Listen to yourself!" Luna nearly shouted. "A case of amnesia, and he's suddenly being so friendly without any external force or potion? Doctor Caliber informed me of all of this, but none of it adds up. Yes, I believe that ponies can change, but for one such as him to change so quickly? This is what I find so ridiculous."

Celestia bowed her head slightly at what her sister said, acknowledging her argument and letting her vent. She knew full well that if their positions were reversed, she would be doing the same. "I suppose this is something you just need to see to believe, isn't it, sister?"

"I'm afraid so, Tia. It seems that you're either getting rusty in your judgment of one's character, or our nephew has found your weak spot and managed to exploit it so subtly that you are not seeing things clearly."

"We will see, dear Lulu," Celestia responded to the accusation with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Yes, that we will," Luna shot back flatly, accepting her unspoken challenge.

"Oh, Cadence and Shining Armor are here, too. They came for a surprise visit and will be staying a couple of days here at the castle," Celestia informed, changing the subject. "They wanted to discuss some sort of plan involving my school."

"Well, now that is certainly more heartening news," Luna replied in between bites of her meal. "It's always nice when our niece and her husband come for a visit, for as short as it might be."

Soon, the door of the dining room opened to reveal the royal couple walking in. "Auntie Luna!" Cadence called out with a smile and rushed toward her aunt, giving her a big hug. Flurry Heart, not wanting to be left out, flew towards her as well to give her muzzle a hug.

"Dearest niece and grandniece, it's always a pleasure to see you," Luna cooed warmly, enveloping them both in a hug and nuzzling their cheeks together with her own. "Celly told me that you'll be staying at the castle for a couple of days?"

"That is right! There is some business that we would like to take care of, and we wanted to make sure that we stopped by to say 'hi'."

"You know that all of you are always welcome here." The hug finally ended as the family took their seats and were served. Cadence didn't waste time and tried to feed Flurry, but unlike everyone else, she refused to eat.

"What is it, dear?" Cadence asked her daughter with some worry.

"I believe Flurry wishes to wait for everypony to be present before we eat," Celestia brought up.

"Is that true, Flurry? You want to wait for Blueblood?" She asked Flurry, who nodded rapidly in response.

This confused Luna. "Blueblood will be joining us?"

"It's crazy right?" Shining answered her, "We met him this afternoon in the garden. It really took us by surprise how much he changed in one day."

"Oh no, Shining, not you too," Luna pleaded with worry. "His amnesia is nothing but an act! Can you not see he is playing you both?"

"I'm not so sure, auntie," Cadence responded to her concern. "Like you, I tried to break through that mask of his, but it was solid. He didn't budge an inch. I'm sure that he's hiding _something..._ but the part about him not remembering anything seems to be true," Cadence mentioned.

"I tried to tell you, Luna," Celestia snarked to her sister as she took a sip of her sweet raspberry tea.

Luna looked to Celestia and their niece in complete surprise and started to worry. _This is becoming most troublesome. Cadence has known Blueblood even before she had earned her wings. They've practically grown up together. Other than Celestia, she may be the only one that may truly know how he thinks. If he really has managed to fool her, there is a chance that strong magic may be involved. I must remain vigilant._

Nopony had anything else to add, and the room soon fell into silence while they waited for Blueblood. The tension in the room was slowly increasing and making everyone present very uncomfortable. It wasn't until they heard the sound of hooves approaching that they focused on the door once more in anticipation for the final guest to arrive.

The doors finally opened and beyond, the most recently hired butler, a unicorn colt with a joyous expression, gray fur, and short white mane and tail, entered quietly before moving aside, allowing Prince Blueblood to enter. He looked to everyone in the room, embarrassment clearly showing on his face "I am so sorry, everyone. Clean Breeze told me where to go but I got sidetracked by some beautiful mosaic windows and ended up losing myself," Blueblood explained as he trotted in. "Luckily, Silver Treat found me and he was kind enough to guide me…" Blueblood looked to everyone and read the room as being confused and worried.

"…I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Not at all, nephew. Please, join us." Celestia offered him a seat next to her, which he promptly accepted. Silver Treat bowed and took his leave, closing the door behind him. A maid approached Blueblood and offered him a salad plate and a glass of sweet tea. Blueblood smiled and thanked the maid as she left, surprising her for a moment before she resumed her duties. All the while, Luna and Cadence never stopped eying him with suspicion.

Blueblood was about to take a bite of his salad when he noticed the mare on the other side of the table staring at him. He was a bit unnerved, but he shook his head and smiled at her. "Hello miss, I don't think we've met before."

Luna just raised an eyebrow, not believing a word. "So it would seem."

Celestia looked at the two, slightly worried, and decided to cut in before anything untoward could occur. "Blue blood?"

"Yes, mom?... I-I mean, auntie?" Blueblood quickly corrected himself with a shake of his head. "I need to get that clear in my head," Blueblood mumbled mostly to himself, completely oblivious that his words really touched Celestia, even if they were by accident.

She recovered quickly though and continued. "I would like for you to meet your other aunt," Celestia gestured to her sister, "Princess Luna."

"Greetings nephew," She called out in a cold voice, which confused Blueblood. Celestia shot a glare at her before using her magic to give her a little shove to her shoulder as a warning.

Luna understood the message and decided to play along. She skillfully cast a quick charm on her own head to block any type of mental manipulation or hypnosis before continuing. "I was informed that you were struck by a mysterious and severe case of amnesia, is that right, nephew?"

Blueblood nodded in reply. "Yes, so I've been told."

Luna's eyes remained focused on him, studying his every move as if he were a bug under a magnifying lens.

"It truly must have been a horrible ordeal," Luna mentioned, pausing her glare to look at her food, stabbing her fork into her salad before staring back at him as she chewed.

"Oh yeah, terrifying, but luckily I'm not so scared now."

"Oh, really?" Luna continued to appraise him with an eyebrow quirked as she continued to eat. "And why might that be?"

"Sister..." Celestia warned, trying to stop her, but Luna continued.

"Did you, by chance, recover a piece of your memory? Perhaps you remember something you wish to ask? Hmm?"

"Well..." Blueblood started to think long and hard about it until something popped into his head. "Actually, yeah, there is something."

"And what that would it be?"

Blueblood looked at her, then at Celestia with some curiosity. "What's up with your mane and tail?"

"Ah-ha! I knew you were... Wait, what?" Luna jumped up and pointed a hoof at him before stopping herself and getting confused as her nephew just extended his own hoof and tried to catch some of Celestia's hair, making her giggle at the touch.

"Blueblood, that tickles!" Celestia laughed out with a smile before looking sideways and shooting a knowing glance and smirk toward her sister.

"Ah, sorry." He retracted his hoof and looked at her.

"That is it?" Luna asked in disbelief. "That is all you wanted to know?"

"Well, I was also kind of wondering why all mares in my family apparently have wings," He confessed as the princesses unconsciously look at said appendages. "I was hoping it was a family thing and I'd get my own pretty soon." He danced around in excitement. "I mean, could you imagine? We could all migrate to the south in winter and have a family vacation!"

Shining can't help but laugh at that. "Oh, that is…" He gasped between laughs. "Ha…That is rich!"

"Blueblood, that's not exactly how these things work," Cadence explained. Her brow then furrows in anger, slightly offended by the implication. "And we are not birds either!"

"Sorry cousin, I didn't mean to offend you. Honestly I was just wondering how you got them," He responded in alarm as he raised his hooves.

"And it's a legitimate question, dear nephew." Celestia nodded. "Unfortunately, becoming an alicorn is not the easiest thing to achieve."

"Mist explained some of it to me. Flurry Heart has been the first naturally born Alicorn since you and Princess Luna. Princess Cadence mastered the magic of love, and Princess Twilight mastered the magic of friendship. Those two have been the only ponies able to ascend," He stated, some sadness in his voice, before smiling again. "But hey, something so rare only makes obtaining alicorn ascension all the more satisfactory, right? Work hard to obtain it and receive a pair of wings and a horn as proof of your dedication."

"Ah, Mist told you my story?" Cadence asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, she did! How you, despite being from a poor family, managed to unite an entire nation in love and harmony. Cousin, that is really incredible!"

"Oh… well, thanks," Cadence replied with a nervous smile. On one hoof, she appreciated the compliment… yet on the other, said compliment came from the most unexpected of sources. "So, you say you wish to become an alicorn?"

"Not so much, but it's a nice thought. I would at least like to try and earn it. To prove myself worthy of ascension, like you did."

Luna's brain was going into overdrive and starting to short circuit at what she was hearing. She slowly gathered up a cup of coffee to clear her nerves and organize her thoughts. "It takes a lifetime of hard work and focused dedication to ascend to become an alicorn. Are you sure you are up for such a task, Blueblood?" Luna then took an unsteady sip of her drink.

"Yes, are you absolutely sure you want to walk that path nephew?" Celestia inquired with no small amount of worry creeping into her voice. "I will tell you, the task you wish for is an unforgiving and difficult one. Ascension is exceedingly rare. It's why there are only five alicorns in existence."

"I understand, aunt Celestia. There is nothing to worry about. I swear I will be careful and not jump right into anything head first." With a labored motion, Blueblood carefully took a fork in his hoof and gingerly picked at a cherry tomato on his plate. "The first thing I want to do is understand this world, see who I really am, and then try to correct some of the mistakes I've made." His voice was melancholy as he turned his gaze to the princesses, then the rest of the family. "I was a real jerk back then, wasn't I?"

Nopony knew what to say, so they just kept their eyes stuck to their plates. All except for Luna, who just stared at Blueblood in complete shock, her mug of liquid caffeine shaking unsteadily in her magic.

"Let the past be past, dear nephew," Celestia spoke to him in a soothing voice before she pulled him closer to her with a wing and nuzzles his cheek. "It's true that in the past you may have been a bit… difficult to love, but I can assure you, Luna and I will never stop loving you. If you really wish to make the effort to change and become a better pony, know that you have our complete support." She offered.

Blueblood returned the nuzzle mostly out of instinct. "Thank you, auntie. I swear I will work as hard as I can to become the pony you deserve. I'll try to make you all proud."

"You already have, sweetie," Celestia whispered as a single tear fell from her eye.

"You can count on our support too, Blueblood." Shining Armor beamed. "It'll be great having another stallion around to talk about stuff. No offense to any of you, but sometimes guys just need to talk guy stuff."

"Ugh, stallions..." Cadence sighed with a roll of her eyes. "But you can count with my help too, Bluey. These might be confusing times, but I really would like to get to know this new cousin of mine."

"Thanks, Cadance," Blueblood responded, moved by her words.

Everyone soon turned to Luna, who has grown quiet.

"Dear sister? Isn't there something you would like to say?" Celestia asked.

Their answer came swift as the Princess of the Night's eyes rolled backwards until all everyone could see was white, and she slumped to the side and fainted on the spot.

"Luna!" Celestia yelled in alarm as everyone sprung to their hooves and rushed to her.


	6. A Princess Wish Come True

**A Princess Wish Come True**

With a groan the princess of the night woke up for the second time that evening. "Agh my head," Luna complained. She brought a hoof to her forehead to find a damp cloth.

"Hmm?" Luna removed the cloth to stare at it for a couple of seconds, confused as to its origins.

"Oh, thank the stars you are awake." Celestia called out before appearing in her field of vision with a relieved expression. "For a second I thought I would have to go into the dream realm to find you."

"Tia?" Luna closed her eyes and slowly sat up. "What happened? I had the strangest dream. Our nephew…"

She opened her eyes only to see said nephew playing with some toys on the balcony of her room with Flurry Heart.

"…had a drastic change of heart." Luna sighed and gave her head a shake. "You were right, sister. I needed to see him to believe it."

"Don't feel too bad, Luna. You took the news better than I did." Celestia pat Luna on the shoulder.

Luna nods and then noticed something. "Where is our niece and Shining Armor?"

"Night court was about to begin and you had an appointment with the mayor of Baltimare. They generously offered to cover for you while you were indisposed."

"Oh pony feathers, the meeting," Luna mentions in embarrassment. "Please tell me that it's not too late. I can probably still make it."

"Luna, relax," Celestia chided her "It has being taken care of. There will still be plenty left for you to do in night court, but first," Celestia look over to her nephew, "There is another matter that needs to be addressed."

"You are right, sister." Luna slid off the couch and stood up. "It's just like you had said, our wish actually come true. Our nephew acts like he is a brand new pony."

"Back when he was pure." Celestia smiles "Just watching him play with Flurry reminds me how cute he was as a little colt."

"Focus, sister. Now is not the time or place for nostalgia," Luna glared at her.

"Whatever do you mean, Lulu?"

"What I mean is this blessing we received could be a double edged sword. It is true we got the nephew we want, but a what price? He is now a blank parchment who doesn't know how to read, write, or use magic. With no idea on how Equestria works and who he can trust, he could easily become a puppet for any politician or nobles to use to get to us. Or worse, they could shape him to be even worse than the old Blueblood."

"I would never let that happen," Celestia frowned.

"Of that I am sure, but restricting Blueblood to stay inside the castle was what made him like he was in the first place. Doing so again will only bring us back to square one!" Luna points an accusing hoof at her. "And do not tell me you will not let it happen either because I know you, Tia. You have always had difficulty saying 'no'."

"I disagree," Celestia replied before relaxing with sigh. "But I understand what you mean. If we really are going to raise him like I should have from the start then we will need to find some sort of middle ground. Some way to ensure that he will not regress back into his old ways while allowing him to explore the world. A way to help him understand that there is more to life than what can be found inside this castle."

"Exactly! And that is why we will need to be extremely careful with what we do next." Luna told her sister as she trotted to the closet.

"Did you have something in mind, dear sister?" Celestia asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, you could say that I have an idea." throwing open her closet, Luna began to remove several items; a graceful black dress, a rubber chicken which was tossed across the room to land with a 'squawk', a well worn buckler shield, more items joined the others on the floor until "Ah ha!" she found what she is searching for. From within the closets depths, Luna levitated an ornate wooden chest as long as her foreleg. Rejoining Celestia with her cargo floating beside her.

"I say that since we will be taking this opportunity to reteach magic to Blueblood." Luna began while opening the lid and reaching inside. " We will start with basic combat," from the boxes depths a finely crafted, ruby encrusted falchion emerged, held fast in Luna's hoof. "Then advance to complete enemy obliteration," Luna rose up and moved the sword through a simple flourish, the blade swished through the air and immediately ignited into a corona of magical fire. The princess of the night squealed in delight while she expertly twirled the blade around with a casual but excited grace like a little filly with a sparkler. The improvised display of swordplay continued until Celestia took the sword in her magic and stowed the weapon back inside the chest from whence it came.

"While I do agree that he should relearn magic," She floated the chest back to the closet "I disagree with giving him a fire enchanted sword. We are raising our nephew Luna, not preparing him for a war," Celestia scolds.

"Oh come, Tia. How can you expect him to defend himself against the world if he doesn't know how to properly incapacitate his foes?" Luna argues back.

"By using his wits," She responds "And for pony's sake, Luna. He doesn't even know how to levitate objects. A filly still in magic kindergarten has better control than he would."

"That is another thing. How will we find the time to teach him the basics? We both have our schedules to keep and they are completely full. If we reschedule events for time off, the nobles will begin to ask difficult questions. And we surely can't send him to a public school. Not only would that be social suicide for him, the moment the nobles find out, they will descend upon him like the Element of Laughter would a cake."

Celestia began to ponder the situation, her mind rapidly forming and discarding ideas until her eyes went wide in realization. "You raise a good point but I may have an idea."

"Shall I fetch the fire sword again?"

"No! Return that sword to the armory. That thing is a hazard and I will not have you setting _another_ fire in the castle. Perhaps it would be better if I show you. Please look after Blueblood until I return. This should only take me a few hours."

Luna just waved her off, "Those drapes were needing to be replaced anyway. What will you have me do about young Flurry Heart?"

"Cadence and Shining Armor should be finishing up with the mayor if they haven't already. When they return, take Blueblood with you to night court. I promise I will try to be as quick as possible."

"Very well, but do not take too long, sister" Luna mentions. Celestia gave a sharp nod and teleports away leaving Luna with her the rest of the family.

She trots across the room and exits onto the balcony. Blueblood notices her approach and rises to greet her, much to Flurry's displeasure. "Aunt Luna, are you feeling better?"

"Indeed I am, nephew. I apologise for making you worry," She replied with some guilt.

"You certainly gave us all a scare. Your face nearly landed on your coffee cup." Blueblood commented and then looked to his side when he felt something brush up against his left leg, discovering Flurry wanting attention. He smiled and picked her up in his hooves. "Was I really that bad before?"

"Perhaps worse than you may think. Some moons before my return, a group of nobles had brought forth a petition to have you banished from Canterlot. Their displeasure was so great that they wished a young colt to be cast out into the Barrens."

Blueblood expression dropped like a brick upon hearing her response and sighs, "I don't even remember."

"Perhaps that is for the best, nephew," Luna smiled. She brought his head up with one of her hooves. "Indeed, you used to be horrible, insufferable, egotistical, obnoxious, loathsome, stuck-up..."

Each word spoken caused Blueblood to wince and she just kept going, rattling off each word like a thesaurus dedicated to hate.

"... nasty, detestable, foul big-mouth," Luna boops him on the snout. "But that part of your life is now past. No pony is perfect, nephew. We all have made mistakes in the past, including myself and my sister. For you to actually want to atone for them, I couldn't be more proud."

Blueblood looks to the side wish a blush, conflicted by her word and actions, before looking back at her "Auntie, I…"

They both hear a yawn and when looking down they find Flurry eyes gowing heavy as she tries to remain awake. Luna chuckled and gives her grand-niece a nuzzle. "It looks like it's somepony's bedtime," She mentions before retreating. "The meetings should have ended by now. What do you say we go see your parents so they can tuck you to bed, dear Flurry?"

The filly just yawns again, getting comfortable in Blueblood hooves and using her own wings as a makeshift blanket.

"Could she possibly be more cute?" Blueblood tells incapable of looking away.

"I believe she would bring the most adorable doom to us all." Luna jokes before turning around. "Let us go see how Cadence and Shining are doing."

"Lead the way, Aunt Luna," Blueblood said as he follows the princess of the night out of her room

"It's magic, by the way," Luna says out of the blue, catching Blueblood off guard.

"Adorable baby ponies?"

Luna shook her head. "Perhaps that too, but I am referring to our flowing mane and tail. I recall that you never received an answer," She looks to him with a smile. "There is no special shampoo in our mane. It is a property of our magic leaving our body."

"Wait, your magic is leaking?" Blueblood asks with a raised eyebrow.

Luna hummed, "Mmm, in a small way, I suppose. You see, usually, ponies have good control over a small amount of magic coursing through their body. In general, it gathers where it is most needed; unicorns in their horn, pegasus in their wings, and earth ponies in their hooves. As an alicorn, my sister and I are an exception. Our bodies have the properties of all three races. We gather so much magic that it is simply impossible for our being to contain it all. The state of our mane and tail is the end result of that overflow. We are just releasing that excess build up energy."

"That explains the two of you, but why not Aunt Cadence or Flurry Heart? And why does it tickle when I touch it?"

"You are full of so many questions, nephew. My niece and her daughter have yet to fully mature into their alicorn-hood. As for tickling, much in the same way a unicorn can feel the weight and texture of an object when levitated, our mane can retain such sensation," Luna mentions "That is why we are a bit ticklish there, my sister in particular."

"Wouldn't that mean when you walk it will tickle every time your tail touches the floor?" Blueblood ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Hooves can also be ticklish, nephew. That does not mean we laugh each time we take a step." Luna mentions with a smirk.

"Okay, point taken," The prince chuckled.

To their luck, just as the meeting room was coming into view, the double doors opened and from within Cadence and Shining Armor stepped out.

"Greetings again, dear niece. I have once again returned to the land of the living." Luna called out to her with a cheery tune as they approached the royal couple.

"Aunt Luna," Cadence called back, "Are you feeling better?"

Luna nods "Much better than my favourite coffee cup. I fear it may have not survived the ordeal. You have my thanks for filling in for me during my absence. I hope the mayor of Baltimare didn't give you too many troubles."

"Oh, none at all. Just another mayor asking for the usual help," Cadence casually explained as she levitates Flurry away from Blueblood's hooves. "And here is my sweet little angel. Thanks for look after her, Blue."

"Not a problem. She was a real angel."

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Shining chipped in. "We didn't hear any commotion, yelling, running around, or even a single explosion while we were at the meeting. How do you manage to keep her so calm?" Shining ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh you know, keep her occupied, constantly change what we were playing so she doesn't get bored, used some imagination in role play. Wait, did you just say explosion?" Blueblood asked, not sure if he heard correctly.

Cadence gave snoozing Flurry Heart a light nuzzle. "This little troublemaker has nearly brought the Crystal Empire to its knees twice now," Cadence tells before yawning.

"Three, dear," Shining interrupts. "You're forgetting about her magical surge shorting out the Empire's shield."

"I hardly think a little snow storm counts as certain doom," Cadence scoffs.

Shining brings a hoof to his head to rub his horn. "I had a headache for weeks after that."

Cadence leans over to him and gives him a kiss on his forehead, "You will always be my big, strong, stallion." Cadence turns back to Luna, "I think it's about time Shining and I call it a night. We will see you in the morning, auntie?"

"You can count on that, dear Cadence," Luna smiles at the couple, "Have a nice evening and I thank you again for your assistance tonight."

Shining gives a quick bow, "Any time, Luna. Please, take care." Cadence just gives a brief nod before the royal couple makes their exit.

Once they were out of sight Luna turned to her nephew. "Tell me, Blueblood, would you like to accompany me for night court?"

That catches his attention, "Would that be okay? I don't wish to bother you during your duties."

"Do not worry nephew, there are only a few short hours of night court remaining. Many of our subjects are currently asleep so I do not expect many petitioners. I would very much appreciate the company."

"Well, if that's the case, I wouldn't mind. Just don't expect me to be of much help if it comes to taxes or laws, or, you know, reading or writing."

Luna gave a merry chuckled at that, while they both walk beyond the threshold of the throne room, "I shall keep that in mind."

Sometime later, in the throne room...

Celestia walked into the throne room, her hooves giving sharp clicks on the stone tile floor. What she discovers warms her heart. Luna and her nephew were not on the throne as she assumed they would be, but rather leaning against a nearby open window, looking up into the night sky.

"Now, follow your hoof to the right and complete the image."

"I…I think I see it, auntie! Wow, you were right. It does look like a pony with claws and the body of a scorpion as his lower half."

"It is one of my favorites. I designed it to help lost ships find their way home. Do you see the three stars that make up its tale? The red star at the tip is pointing north. The blue one on his claw is pointing east. The yellow one on his hoof points west and the biggest one on his muzzle leads south. If a sailor doesn't know in which direction they need to go, they only need to find the scorpony and they will soon orient themselves." Celestia could hear the pride in Luna's voice.

"Am I'm interrupting something?" Celestia asks with a knowing smile as she approaches.

"Oh, hello dear sister. Not at all. There were no further petitioners tonight, so I took it upon myself to showcase some of my finest works to Blueblood."

"I'm glad you two are having a good time," Celestia's smile only further warms. "Sister, may I have a moment of your time?"

"You shall have it. Blueblood, will you excuse me for a minute?"

"Of course," The prince replies and goes back to looking into the night sky.

Celestia leads Luna closer to the throne and out of earshot, "So, did you find what you left to seek?"

Celestia nods and levitates out from the small of her wing a golden medallion necklace embossed with the blackened image of a pony with a crooked, wickedly sharp horn. "The enchanted changeling necklace?" Luna whisper-shouted in surprise. "Tia, you can't be serious!"

"Now Lulu, please hear me out. This necklace could potentially be the answer to our problem with Blueblood's education. If Blueblood can be taught how to use this, he could shapeshift into a little colt and learn the fundamentals of writing and magic in any school in Canterlot without the nobles suspecting anything is amiss."

"And instead you propose to give a pony with memory loss a dangerous artifact. How is this any different then my own wanting to give him a dangerous artifact?" Luna argues back. "Would it not be more logical to just requisition some private tutors or some well-experienced guards?" Luna frowned, "Honestly Tia, I am beginning to think you do not like my fire sword."

"I say no combat training!" Celestia glared back. "Blueblood can't stay at the castle or else we'll be facing the bubble problem again if just let him have his studies in here."

"You are not fun, sister. Honestly, it's a mystery how Twilight Sparkle ever learned how to defend her…" Luna went eyes wide in realization. "I have had the most brilliant idea," She looks back at Celestia. "We should send him to your student!"

"What?" Celestia asks confused. "Luna, I believe Twilight is busy with her own projects. We needn't bother her with our own little one here."

"Tia, we are talking about the mare who built a school dedicated to further studying friendship," Luna argues "Besides, is she not the Princess of Friendship? I can personally attest to your former student should knowing about giving second chances. Do you not remember that I was once Nightmare Moon?" Luna looks over to a blissfully unaware Blueblood who was still leaning on the windowsill, watching the night sky. "As difficult as this may be, perhaps, for now, it may be for the best if our nephew spends some time in Ponyville instead of here where he may once again be corrupted."

Celestia nods and thinks hard of the options until she comes with something, "Very well, but let's give him two weeks."

"Whatever for?"

"I know we can find a way to make some space on our schedules for him, Luna. I just know it. Besides, Blueblood can't just disappear. He is too well known around here for him to just vanish. It would look suspicious. We will tell the truth, at least most of it, that he has important business to attend to outside Canterlot."

"Agreed," Luna nods "That will give me enough time to teach him battle techniques."

"…Luna"

"Fine! I will refrain from the self-defense classes, but if he shows interest in combat all deals are off," Luna warns her before looking back at the necklace."And we would need to be careful with this, too. You know that those changes are not 'illusions', correct?"

"I'm well aware of that, Lulu. I have faith in Blueblood. I believe he will handle this artifact with the care and respect it deserves."

"You may have your faith, sister, but I will still dispatch a pair of thestral guards to watch over him," Luna mentions.

Celestia smirked at that."Very well, then." The two royal sisters turn to make their way back to Blueblood. "Now who being over-protecting?"

"Oh, you hush up, Tia. If it were up to you, you would have given him an entire platoon of your solar guards."

Celestia laughed at that, "Well, maybe half a platoon."

They stopped their approach when they heard snoring. To their amusement, they found Blueblood leaning against the window, soundly asleep.

"That poor, unfortunate soul. He must have been really tired for quite some time." Luna moved closer to the sleeping prince. "I believe he did not want me to be alone for an empty night court." Luna nuzzled his cheek, moved by his actions. "You have a very sweet heart, dear nephew."

A motherly smile grew upon Celestia lips at the sight of her sister nuzzling the once tyrannical prince. She then looked out the windows to the brilliant twinkle of stars with a content smile, sending out a silent prayer to whatever gods above that may be listening, '_Thank you._'


	7. To Ponyville

**To Ponyville **

While time starts to move again, Twilight Sparkle remained frozen, she appeared to be doing an impression of a fish that forgot how to breathe. Her brain continued to unsuccessfully comprehend what she was seeing. Spike, her number one assistant, who was next to her, appeared to also be in the same state.

"Do you believe us now, Twilight?" Celestia asked with a hopeful smile.

"We can assure you, we took every possible magical and medical test known to our Canterlot doctors. He is in no way pretending, under a curse or spell, or has any sort of injury." Luna added "They have eliminated every rationally possible cause and yet his condition remains a mystery."

"Wha…who…I can't…words," The library of Twilight's inner mind had flipped it's 'open' sign to 'closed' and shut its lights off for the night.

In front of the assembled princesses, Twilight Sparkle's pet owl, Owlowiscious, who wasn't known for being overly affectionate to strangers, was nuzzling Blueblood. In fact, the only other ponies who Owlowiscious had shown that kind of affection to where her closest friends and even that had taken weeks!

Yet here she was, once again, seeing something incredibly improbable. Since her time studying in Celestia's school for gifted unicorns she had not seen much of the prince other than at day court or yelling at gardeners. She was never really one to pay much attention to other ponies. As for Blueblood, he probably didn't even know of her existence until she had earned her wings.

But something that she remembers all too well was how the prince was universally hated by all the animals in the royal garden, mostly due to him acting like a jerk towards them all the time. In fact, she was starting to convince herself that he was the anti-Fluttershy when it came to kindness or anything animal related.

Since his arrival with the princesses, not only has he been friendly and kind to her, he had even offered to help Spike with his list of chores in multiple occasions just because he wanted to help! On its own, that was already weird and only continued to confuse the princess of friendship and her assistant to no end but seeing him being friendly to what she once overheard Blueblood call 'filthy vermin' was what caused her mind to finally pack its bags and leave town.

"Twilight, are you still with us?" Celestia was getting worried.

"I…ah" Twilight's eyes were wide while she shook her head "Y-yeah I'm with you, sorry. It's just that… This is all too much, too fast," She responded as she held her head in her hooves.

Luna whispered into her sister's ear, "That's what she said," making Celestia giggle.

"Tell me about it. Luna and I were in your horseshoes yesterday."

Twilight nodded then looked back at them "So, he really doesn't know anything?"

Both princesses nod "Not much, I'm afraid. Math and speech seems to be the most of what he has retained," Celestia answered.

"And that is why we need your help, fair Twilight," Luna added.

"W-what? Why me?" She asks confused, pointing a hoof at herself as Spike finally recovers from his stupor.

"You see, although it is a mystery as to how this event transpired, it has presented us with a golden opportunity that we wish to take advantage of," Luna continues.

Celestia nodded in agreement, "It's a chance for us to become a family again. Nothing would make us more happy than to have this...new Blueblood with us. Unfortunately, our duties prevent us from spending the time needed to re-teach him all that he needs. If the other nobles were to discover him while in this condition, Faust help us all," concern was deeply etched upon Celestia brow.

"That is why we have come to ask for your aid, Twilight Sparkle," Luna states. "Our wish is for you to provide sanctuary to our nephew for a fortnight while he acquires an education in Ponyville and initiate magic lessons with you."

"You want me to teach him how to use magic?" Twilight looks at them with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't expect him to be teleporting any time soon, he just needs to re-learn the fundamentals, " Celestia adds, "It will only be for a few short weeks until we can better organize our schedules."

"What do you say, Twilight? Will you be his guiding light in the darkness?" Luna asks with twinkles of hope in her eyes.

Twilight started to process everything in her mind and tried to think this through carefully. Other than her schedule, which she could easily reorganize, nothing prevented her from helping the prince. Twilight had made up her mind. She gave Celestia a very determined nod and said, "You can count on me, Princess."

"Thank you, Twilight. You have no idea how much this means to us," Celestia cheers.

"Ahhh, I don't mean to be the messenger of bad news but…" Spike interject "Wouldn't it be weird and, like, super creepy if a full-grown stallion just showed up to attend Miss Cheerilee's class?"

"We have already come up with a solution to that, Spike" Celestia informs him "Blueblood, will you come over here for a moment?"

"Coming auntie," Blueblood gave a gentle pat goodbye to Owlowiscious and approached the group.

"Blueblood, will you please give a demonstration with amulet I gave you earlier this morning?"

He immediately gets nervous, "Would that be okay, Auntie? You told me not to use it while somepony is watching."

"It's okay, nephew, you can trust Twilight," Luna informs him.

"Well... okay" Blueblood looked a bit unsure but he finally to brings his hoof up to the medallion around his neck and closes his eyes.

"Okay, dear, just like we practiced. Clear your mind and picture the colt photo that I showed you earlier," Celestia cooed.

Blueblood gave a resounding nod and concentrated as hard as he could. Soon, the necklace shines a bright golden aura that encompasses his entire body and in a flash of green fire he had changed into a little foal version of himself. His stature having shrunk a little smaller than the cutie mark crusaders and most noticeable of all, lacking a cutie mark.

The spell concluded and he peered up at the group. "Looks like it worked," He stated in a much higher pitched voice completing the disguise and shocking Spike and Twilight once more.

"You did a fantastic work, nephew! You look just like you used to when you were a colt!" Celestia happily proclaimed to him with a nuzzle before addressing Spike and Twilight, "With this magic amulet, Blueblood can assume the form of a colt and join the class without raising any suspicion."

"W-what just... uh, just… I don't... what?" Spike said, dumbfounded.

"You, young dragon, just witnessed the power of a changeling's alternation necklace" Luna informs him, pointing to the jewelry that her nephew was sporting around his neck. "What he is wearing is one of few, rare changeling artifacts on loan to the Royal Canterlot Archives by King Thorax. They are used in the training of changeling nymphs when they become stuck in an undesired form. Whomever wears should be able to change their appearance, at will, without much problem," She explains.

"Is it some sort of illusion?" Twilight asks, lightly poking Blueblood in the chest, making him giggle.

"No, it is a complete physical change. Right now Blueblood is as he appears, a colt," Luna answers.

"But only as long as I want to be," Blueblood adds before tapping the necklace twice and reverting to his normal self. "See? That's all it takes and I'm back to being myself."

"That's incredible," Twilight said in surprise.

"And most importantly, it would help us keep his secret," Luna continues which catches Twilight's attention.

"What secret?"

"As we have told you if the news of his condition spread, nobles would try to prey on him and exploit his position for their own personal gain," Luna swiftly approached Blueblood, covering him with a wing in a protective manner. "This is why we need to keep his identity a secret until he is once again ready to face the Canterlot nobility."

"Are the nobles really that dangerous, auntie?" Blueblood asks with worry.

"Of that, I am absolutely sure, nephew. Every one of them would try to force their own politics upon you and you would lack the social skills to defend yourself," Luna replies.

Blueblood, realizing the dire importance of the situation, quickly changes back into his colt form once again.

"That is why for the remainder of his stay, or unless he is on the castle grounds, he must remain in the form of a colt. The story that you will tell others is that you're taking care of a distant cousin of yours called New Blood" Luna informs Twilight while she removes her wing from across Blueblood's form. "If you are asked, you are allowed to tell them that he has recently suffered through a traumatic event, which will explain away his amnesia, and that he will temporarily be staying with you at the castle until another caregiver can be found."

"The best lies have a grain of truth. In fact, Twilight, Blueblood is actually part of your family." Celestia tells with a smile

"_whaaaat?!_" Both Twilight and Blueblood cry out in surprise

Celestia taps her chin with her hoof "Well it is a far association, but technically speaking since Cadence married your brother, that makes Blueblood your 'cousin-in-law', by association indirectly part of your family" Celestia explain using air quotes.

"Wait, Shining Armor is your brother?" Blueblood asked in shock looking back up at Twilight.

"Oh wow, you really did forget everything," Spike chuckled while he approached him "I can see that you and I are going to have a lot to talk about."

Luna ruffled her wings, "As you can see, Twilight, this is the story you must tell, even to the other Elements."

"Why I can't tell my friends everything?" Twilight asks.

"It must remain a secret as a matter of royal security, Twilight Sparkle. Please understand this is not out of malice but more out of concern. It would be best for Blueblood if the rest of Ponyville were kept unaware, especially from one Element in particular that may have a personal grudge against our nephew." Luna replied.

Twilight eyes widened in realization as she thinks things over, _It's true! It's not only Rarity that we'll need to worry about, AJ has also met Blueblood and from what she told me, they didn't depart on the best of terms. Faust only knows what those two would do if they found out the truth or even if they would be willing to give him a chance._

She glanced back at the small colt before sighing "I understand, princess. Spike and I will keep this a secret, even from our friends," She said as she looks back at everyone, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake on my eye"

"I knew we could count on you, Twilight. Thank you for your assistance in this matter," Celestia motherly smile returns as she brings her in for a hug.

"You can count on me, princess" She mentions, returning the hug in full.

"We should be going, sister. We have delayed our duties for far too long," Luna informs before approaching her nephew "Please take care dear nephew, and remember that you can find me in your dreams if you need me."

Unsure of what to make of that sentence, Blueblood nodded slowly in reply. "I will keep that in mind," He finally responds.

Luna gives him a quick nuzzle before making her way to the door. After, Celestia approaches and gives a warm hug of her own, lifting him off the ground in the process. "Oh Blueblood, you have no idea how much I wished for this day to come. I know you're in good hooves now and absolutely nothing bad is going to happen. But if anything were to arise, you only need to have Spike send me a letter and I will be here in an instant," She coos while her motherly side proudly shows.

"Come on sister, before we stay here all day," Luna said while pulling Celestia away with her magic after the fifth minute of the hug. On their way out, the royal sisters wave goodbye and Blueblood returned the gesture.

Luna and Celestia boarded the flying chariot and as soon as they sat they depart, leaving Twilight and Spike alone with Blueblood in the form of a small colt.

"So… are we really cousins?"

"I have no reason to doubt the princess but it does sound pretty crazy, right?" Twilight replies trying to make small talk "Usually I figure out this kind of thing pretty easily but this time I didn't even have the slightest clue."

"Me neither," Blueblood mutters before chuckling "Then again, I have no clue about a lot of things at the moment." To that, they all share a laugh.

Blueblood looks over to the saddle bag that he and Celestia had packed earlier that morning, "Maybe I should go find my room and unpack my things."

"Oh, that sounds like a good idea. Spike and I can give you a guided tour of the castle while we're at it," Twilight offers.

"Quick bit of advice, knock before opening any closed doors," Spike adds, "Especially if you don't know who or what might be on the other side. Somedragon might be on the other side and you might hit them."

"Does that often happen?" Blueblood asked with worry.

"More times than you may think," He grumbled.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," He acknowledged. The three were about to start moving when a knock on the front door catches their attention.

"Are you expecting somepony, Twilight?" Spike asked.

She shook her head before chuckling, "Maybe it's princess Celestia wanting one last hug?" Twilight joked with a roll of her eyes. She used her magic to open the door only to be met with an alabaster unicorn mare with a purple curly mane and tail, wearing what Twilight could barely describe as a dress with frilly things on it, waiting on the other side, levitating a long package in her magic.

"Oh! H-hello, Rarity!" Twilight said in a panicked voice before recovering with a forced smile. Silently screaming a string of, '_No no no no…_' in her head at the last pony she wanted to see at the front door, "W-what brings you here?"

Rarity, for her part, just covered her muzzle with one hoof as she giggled happily at Twilight's surprised reaction, "I see that my newest creation has left you utterly speechless, darling!" Rarity said happily while she walked inside.

"I came to give you back the dress that had that ghastly tear," She replied elegantly while she moved to put said packaged dress on a nearby table, when she eyed the saddlebags beside it, which greatly puzzled her.

"Are you planning to go on a trip, dear?" Rarity asked while she turned to face Twilight with a raised eyebrow, levitating up the saddlebags in her magic.

Twilight was starting to sweat. She felt like she wasn't ready to face her friends. "Well, um, you see ..."

"Those bags are mine," Blueblood responds as he slowly approaches, keeping his head low and goes to stand next to Twilight. "They're for my stay with cousin Twilight" He mutters, which allows Twilight to recuperate from the unexpected shock that was Rarity.

"Cousin Twilight?" Rarity asks, more confused than before.

Now more relaxed Twilight lets out a quiet breath and approaches her, "New Blood, meet Rarity" she said, making a quick introduction.

"Hi ya," Blueblood said while he offered Rarity a small accompanying wave.

"Rarity, I'd like you to meet my one of my distant cousins, New Blood. I offered to let him stay here for a couple of weeks." She brings Rarity closer to whisper in her ear "He's recently been through a rather traumatic experience and has suffered memory loss as a result. His guardians sent him over so he could hopefully calm down and relax."

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity whisper-shouted. "That's so sad!"

"He doesn't even remember anything about magic, which I'll be teaching him while he stays with us at the castle. His memory loss is so advanced that his guardians even had to remind him that they were his family," Twilight explains witch makes Rarity to start tear up.

Rarity looked about ready to faint, "Oh, that poor little colt!"

"Yeah, he can be very shy, so please be gentle, okay?"

"I understand completely, Twilight. You have no need to worry about me. You have my word as a lady that I will be on my best of behavior," Rarity informs her with a solemn expression while bringing a hoof to her chest.

"Ah…miss?" Blueblood calls up to her once again.

"Yes, dear?"

"May I have my saddlebags back?" He asks pointing at it, Rarity completely forgetting that she was still holding them in her magic.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! Of course, you can have it back," She said with embarrassment. She floats over the saddlebags back which Blueblood hugged to his chest when they're within reach, selling his act perfectly.

"Twilight, may I go to my room now?" Blueblood asks.

"Of course you can New Blood. Spike can I get you to please take my dress to my room?" She asks her assistant. In reply, he clicked his heels together and saluted before grabbing the package and leaving the room.

Twilight and 'New. B' were about to go when Rarity surprises them both when she approaches Blueblood and kneels in front of him, "Would the little care for a ride to his quarters?"

"W-What?" He stutters, caught completely off guard by the strange question.

"It's okay, darling. Consider it my way to apologize for taking your saddlebag without your permission. There's no need to worry, I don't mind, just don't grip too tightly, alright?"

"Well..." Blueblood, unsure of what to do, looks up at Twilight for help but she only shrugs, not knowing what to do.

"It's okay, dear," Rarity continues "I don't bite~"

Twilight cringed internally, _Oh this could be wrong in_ SOOO _many ways …_.

"Well okay, b-but just let me know if I'm making you uncomfortable?"

"You have my word, darling," Rarity gives him a reassuring smile. For better or worse, Blueblood decided to climb into her back and then tried to get a little comfortable in the awkward position. Once she felt that he was secure Rarity stood up again and looked over to Twilight.

"Shall we?"

"Y-Yeah lets go," Twilight replies and begins to guide them through the halls of the castle, just going with the flow of things.

"I'm not too big for you, am I?" Blueblood asks.

Rarity just shook her head, "Not at all dear, you are nearly as light as my little sister." She commented as they continued there walk deeper into the castle. "You know, New Blood, I can't help but notice that your face reminds me of somepony I've met before..."

Twilight's fear returned in full force, as she screamed a nearly infinitely repeating string of '_No no no no..._' in her head for the second time that day.

"But, by Celestia's beard, I can't put my hoof on exactly who that pony was… How very curious."

Blueblood chuckled, "Well, if my memories return, you might remind me of somepony too,"he joked. "Tell me, miss Rarity, how do you get your coat and mane to look so beautiful? Are you a supermodel?"

"Oh you flatterer, you!" Rarity blushed and giggled. "Twilight dear, where have you been hiding such a gentlecolt? Your cousin is just a delight to be around!" She squealed with girlish glee.

"Yeah, he sure is quite the charmer, isn't he?" Twilight relaxed a little, Blueblood having defused the situation, even if involuntary this time.


	8. Fear And Guilt

**Fear And Guilt **

After finishing the tour around the castle, the group finally arrived at one of the many empty guest rooms where they deposited all of Blueblood's belongings beside the bed. He gingerly hopped off Rarity's back, being careful not to mess up her dress.

"Thanks for the ride, miss Rarity."

"It was my pleasure, dear, and please call me 'Rarity'," She humbly replied.

Blueblood chuckled at the polite reply. "Okay, mis- I mean, Rarity, I will try my best to remember it," He returned the smile before heading off towards the bed.

"Is there anything else we can do for you, New Blood?" Twilight adds.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble, could I please have a little time to myself? I would like a moment to unpack my things," He asked as politely as he could.

"Sure dear, just come and find us when you're done," Rarity answered. "Once you're ready, we'll all go for some delicious ice cream!"

That surprised him, "Really? That sounds great, Rarity."

"We are?" Twilight asks with a raised brow until Rarity gives her a light shove to her side. "I mean, yeah sure! I'd love to show you around Ponyville before you start school so you can become familiar with Ponyville and know the route you'll need to take in order to get to the schoolhouse," Twilight's face abruptly morphed into one of concern. "That is, of course, if you're okay with that?" Twilight questioned.

"Well… I would like to see some of Ponyville, maybe get a souvenir, but I haven't been given an allowance," Blueblood sheepishly replied.

"Say no more, dear" Rarity interjects, "Today will be my treat and I will not take '_no_' for an answer."

"But…"

"Ah!" Rarity interrupts him, lifting a hoof.

"I don't know if…"

"Ah!" She repeats the action,

"It wouldn't be right t-"

"Ah!" She does it again leaving a bewildered Blueblood.

"…okay," He finally relented.

"Now that has been settled, we should go, Twilight dear. Let's give your cousin some time to unpack his things. We'll be in the map room when you're ready to rejoin us, New Blood."

Twilight looked between the two, not sure about what to do, before simply shrugging and following her friend, closing the door behind them.

"You know, you don't need to do all that for him, right?" Twilight whispers to Rarity.

"And not help that unfortunate colt? Not a chance, Twilight! I will gladly aid you in his recovery," Rarity mentions with a smile. "In fact, you should ask all our friends for help, Twilight. New Blood's case sounds like something very serious and you may need all the help you can get. I'm sure that the other girls would gladly lend a hoof and maybe have an idea or two for ways to cheer him up."

Twilight heaves out a sigh in defeat and shakes her head, "You really can't help being so generous, can you Rarity?" She said with a sincere smile.

"Not even if I wanted to, dear," Rarity punctuated with a wink.

"Fine, we'll tell the others, but we aren't going all out. As I said before, he's only staying here for a few weeks. And he's still a young colt and you know how they can get about their personal space. If we come on too strong we may just end up pushing him away, or we could end up making his condition worse. We should tread lightly around him."

"Crystal clear, darling!"

"And that includes making clothes for him," Twilight adds which shocks Rarity to her very core.

"W-what?! But Twilight, can you just imagine how adorable he would look in a dashing formal suit!" Rarity rebutes.

"Maybe, but only if he asks."

"Very well, message received. No suits unless he asks for them," she said dejectedly. Rarity then tapped her chin in thought, "Well, how about a cute little bow tie and top hat?"

"No."

"Perhaps a ruffled shirt with a pocket watch?"

"Rarity!"

Meanwhile in Blueblood's guest room

Once the door had closed the small prince let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and started to pace in circles.

_Okay, calm down, calm down. Things may be getting confusing, but you're still in control. You Just...need to think things through. Try to remember, try to understand what's happening_

The prince perseveres by doing some breathing exercises to relax his heart, once he'd accomplished his goal, he took a moment to stop and sit on the bed so he could concentrate properly.

_First things first. What do I understand about this place so far? Well... I'm definitely in another world, one where ponies can talk. Colors are a lot more saturated. Apparently, I ended up in the skin of a class A jerk, one that even his own family had difficulties in loving, and magic is not smoke and mirrors here _He gives out a sigh and looks himself over in the mirror atop his nightstand, before staring at his new appendage.

_Not to mention that apparently I, as a unicorn should A) Have magic, and B) It's a big deal if a unicorn can't use it _

_He looks down with concern. _

_How am I supposed to do something, I didn't even think it was physically possible in the first place? Wait, no, __**NO!**__Focus!_

He gave a few shakes of his head and heroically stands up, bringing one of his hooves to his chin, deep in thought.

_That's not important right now. What I need right now, is to figure out what I was doing before I woke up here_

Blueblood closed his eyes and tried concentrating as hard as he possibly could, of his past trying to clear the fog in his head. What began as small and blurry forms in the dark began to transform into crystal clear images of his past.

_**"Look dad! Isn't this hero incredible?"**_

In his head Blueblood managed to see a faceless image of a small human boy, with a mount made of light, holding a comic and talking to a larger humanoid image whose face he couldn't see.

_Is that…me?... I remember Now..., I really loved superheroes and video games. Gah! ...I'm such a nerd. _

He smiles at the memory until I remember my father's reaction.

_**"Well isn't that adorable? But son, this is just make-believe, and worse, a waste of time...and money."**_ The figures informs him, before snatching the comic away, _**"Here, I have a better way for you to spend your time."**_

He retrieves a baseball glove from a nearby bench and hands it to me, smiling condescendingly _**"Starting tomorrow, you'll be playing America's game, sport. Comic books will rot your brain!"**_

_**W-What? But dad, that's not what I want to do!"**_

He just laughs affably and softly pats my head _**"You're too young to know what you want. Dad always knows best after all "**_

The images changed and the once small figure was now taller, showing off a piece of paper to his father.

_**"Dad I did it! I passed my exams, with top honors!"**_

_**"I'm so proud of you son, and look I have a surprise for you too!"**_ He hands him another piece of paper _**"I've already enrolled you into the perfect college!"**_

_**"What? B-But dad, I already have a college in mind, couldn't you at the very least talk to me about this before yo-?"**_

_**"Oh you're still being that adorable little son of mine, still thinking about your silly games and heroes... but now? it's time for you to grow up and have a proper job. You should be happy, with your brains you'll graduate in no time, and can finally work in my company:"**_

_**"But dad...I don't want to…"**_

_**"And unless you have your own money, don't expect me to pay for your education unless you go to the school I picked. Do I make myself clear?"**_

He tries to keep his emotions off my face, angrily clenching and unclenching his as he fakes a neutral expression _**"…yes sir"**_

He feels a tear on his cheek, overwhelmed by a toxic mix of sadness and anger swirling around in his skull at how events unfolded.

_Why dad? Why didn't you ever listen to me? I've done everything you've asked of me… so why did you never once consider what I wanted?_

The next memory was in a large glamorous living room, in front of a fireplace with my father sitting on a sofa, while I paced in front of him.

_**"I can't take it anymore!"**_

_**"What do you mean son?"**_

The son stops, looking straight into his father's eyes _**"The lessons, the teachers, my classmates. Everything! Everything in that place is just tedious, repetitive and boring!"**_

_**"And why exactly does that matter? Besides, you're once again top of your class. You're clearly my son, and I'm proud to say that!"**_ The father Replies, lifting a cup in the air as a toast to his future success.

_**"I don't care! What is the point in what I'm doing, if it's not what I really want?" **_

_**"The point? The point is you not ending up homeless and forgotten!" **_The father stood up and pointed an accusing finger at his son.

_**"You really think the world is all sunshine and rainbows? I will tell you this just one last time. The world is tough. So you'd better be tougher, man up! and stop your whining. Or so help me, I will show you what real misery is. Now leave!"**_ He yells pointing to the door.

I quickly succumbed to my father's words and promptly left the room.

_**"I'd better see some improvements on that attitude of yours young man. In fact, I'd better see something expensive for father's day"**_ the father said, resuming his drinking and reading.

_He truly didn't have any mercy on me… God...why did he hate me so much!?_

Blueblood asks in disbelief.

Soon he saw himself in a meeting room staring at an elderly lady on her knees crying her eyes out in front of him, before being abruptly grabbed and removed by security. The figure of his father slowly moved in behind him and slowly patted him on the back, satisfaction clearly evident in his eyes and sick demented smile.

_**"Nicely done son, just like I taught you. Ahh, your first kill is always the most memorable."**_

_**"That…That lady, I just...destroyed her entire life! for profit..."**_

_**"And what a profit it was!" He gleefully points out, "do you know how many zeros you just made this company!?"**_

_**"But s-she legitimately loved her company! What is she going to do now?"**_

_**"Pfft. Who cares? We've just made millions and now it's time to celebrate. I think it's time for you to play with the big boys" **_The father tries to take him away, but Blueblood remains in place still in complete shock.

_**"I think I broke her..."**_

_**"'I'll say again,boy. move it."**_ The father repeats and this time pulls his arm, forcing him to walk away with him.

_"That's right... that damned company dad loved oh so much... He really loved money, I…I think he loved it more than mom. Is that why she left us before I could ever meet her..?_

The image changed one final time. However, this one was more clear than the others, showing both the son and his dad on the rooftop of a large building.

_**"I'm done!"**_

_**"What did you just say?"**_ His father fumed, anger clearly present in his voice.

_**"You heard me. I can't take this anymore! Working like this is like… selling my soul away! Everyone is out to get me, and the only thing that anyone seems to care about is money and power!"**_

_**"That's exactly how the world is son, do you seriously think that there are people that would give a damn about you if it wasn't for your wallet? just know, that the moment you step out of this building, I will NEVER give you a single cent."**_

_**"Fine by me 'father'!"**_ The son yells at him with a glare _**"You'll see, I'll make a name for myself following my own rules, and I'll show you that this 'grim and depressing world', is nothing like you brainwashed me to believe."**_

To his credit, the fuming man only chuckles and grins cruelly at him _**"You should know… that when you come crawling back after it all fails, I will work you to the bone...Until you finally give up on your foolish notions about life.."**_

_**"You know dad...a part of me always wanted to believe that in some form, some way there was a part of you that actually loved and cared for me… However, now I know it was just a lie I told myself at night to make me feel a semblance of normalcy around you! **_

The prince turned to leave, but as soon as he did, a loud booming explosion made both of them lose their balance and fall from the rooftop which had just collapsed into a burning hellscape of concrete and death, they quickly recovered and ran to the stairs. Once they were in the room below, coughing the dust away the prince stared in horror at what he saw. The entire building was up in flames. There were people running everywhere, screams and tears littered the air. The thick black smoke was suffocating and seeing through it became near impossible. He tried to make a run back to the stairs, but a large concrete pillar collapsed on top of him, shattering his legs and destroying his lower spine, making him unable to move.

Blueblood at that moment remembered the reason why he was seeing all of this. There was an accident, someone started a fire in the server rooms, and before he, or anyone else knew it, they were already trapped. nobody could hear his cries for help over all the commotion that was going on at the moment. Nobody except for his father who, to his luck, was still in one piece. Even though he remained faceless. Blueblood could still see this staggering height, slightly though he was in his late forties, he was in remarkably good shape.

'_s here! He's going to help me. He really does care for m-!_ Blueblood was about to smile for joy! when suddenly the next words that came out of his father's mouth, stabbed him in the heart with the delicacy of a jackhammer.

_**"Not so high and mighty now, eh son?."**_ He said to him casually with a cruel and sadistic smirk.

_**"Father w-what are you doing? This place is falling apart! Hurry up and HELP ME!**_ The prince extended his hand out to him, begging for help but all he got was a glare and his father dusting the shoulders of his normally immaculate suit.

_**"Didn't you say you were going to make a name for yourself? what a farce. Go help yourself"**_ He retorts, before making sprinting away towards the exit stairwell.

_**"Dad? Dad?!" **_both Bluebloods scream for their father, but he never once looked back. They continue to stare until the walls collapsed upon his younger self and bury him alive in an infernal grave of concrete and sadness.

Tears started to stream from his eyes and the image started to slowly fade away. Frustration and rage coursed through his head at the moment.

_**"Not like this, it was supposed to be a new start for me, it was supposed to be the beginning of my life. To end it now, it just isn't fair! Why?!"**_

The rest of the building slowly fall on top of him, completely ending the memory. Blueblood gasps for air, awakening in a cold sweat, with his heart lodged in his throat.

_I died... I really died! But that means…_

Blueblood held his head with both hooves in utter shock.

_I'm not just stealing this poor pony body, I'm possessing it! I'm a ghost that somehow ended up here. I never truly had a voice back in my world and now I don't even have an identity here! If they found out what I am they could exorcise me. I- I'd be gone forever!_

Blueblood rushed out of his room toward the bathroom that, thank the stars, wasn't too far away. He hung his crown over the porcelain throne, his stomach in protest from stress and swirling emotions. His trembling hooves clutched the bowl like it was his only lifeline.

None of this was supposed to happen. He wasn't even supposed to be here, but for whatever reason he was and it could all be over in a flash of magic.

Blueblood's stomach lurched again, this time it wasn't a threat, and urgently introduced his breakfast to the toilet. Panting and sweating over the bowl, he vomits again but nothing came out but sour bile. His stomach was now as empty as he felt.

He flushed the toilet and watched his shame and guilt swirl around the bowl before disappearing down the drain. The sight could have been poetic if it wasn't so disgusting. The previous Blueblood had flushed his own life down the drain, now his replacement was left floating in an open cesspool. He had to find the strength to doggie paddle out, wading through the murk of the owners' previous life, clean himself off, and hope nobody decided to throw a rock.

He let out a couple wet, hacking coughs to clear his throat, spat into the water, then flushed the toilet again.

_No matter what happens, they can't find out the truth. They would blame me, they all would. If they didn't destroy me, I would be locked away forever! I wouldn't even blame them. I would probably do the same in their shoes._

Blueblood pushed himself to his hooves and plodded towards the sink. He looked to his reflection in the mirror. His hair was matted and eyes were bloodshot, tear streaks matted his muzzle. Now he looked as terrible on the outside as he felt on the inside, both physically and emotionally.

_I'm sorry Blueblood. I don't even know if this is something that can be fixed. I just have to do my best and hope I can make things right. Gotta keep moving forward and hope things work out in my favour._

"Hey, dude?"

Blueblood panicked, having heard the voice of Twilight's little dragon friend. The steady clicks and scrapes of his foot claws on the crystal floor made it sound like he was quickly approaching. Blueblood hoofed open the faucet and splashed his face a couple of times just before Spike waddled through the open doorway.

"Bro, are you okay?"

"Y–yeah, I'm okay, Spike. I just wanted to make myself presentable before we head out," Blueblood told him, not looking at Spike but instead staring at his sopping reflection in the mirror.

"Are you sure? I heard you talking to somepony on my way," He asked, concern clearly heard in his voice.

"Oh that, I _maaaayy_ have accidentally burnt my hoof with the hot water when I turned on the faucet."

"Oh yeah, that happened to Twilight, too, after we moved in. I thought she was going to lose her temper and blow up the sink or something," Spike said with a roll of his eyes. The little dragon approached to inspect Blueblood's hooves. "Now that she's a super magical alicorn, I can't tell with her sometimes. You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I was more surprised than anything," Blueblood replied, pulling his hooves away.

"Okay then. Just so you know, Twilight color-coded all the faucets in the castle so it wouldn't happen to her again. The red one is for hot and the blue one is for cold," Spike politely informed him, pointing a claw at the faucets on the sink. "And the same applies for the showers. She wanted to use letters so the taps could be sorted alphabetically but not all species use the same alphabet and the castle gets dignitaries from all over the place."

Blueblood gave an affirmative nod, shaking loose tiny water beads to splatter on the floor. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Okay! Well, if you're not hurt then I guess my job here is done," Spike mentioned as he waddled his way out of the bathroom, waving a hand as he went. "Try not to take too long, bub. Rarity's still waiting to take us for ice cream!" He mentioned in excitement.

"I'll be there shortly," Blueblood responded with a fake cheerfulness in his voice, before again looking at himself in the mirror.

"Blueblood, if you're still in there, if you can hear me," the colt placed his hoof on the cold mirror, touching his reflection. "I'm going to make things right, I swear it."

Blueblood quickly dried off his face with a conveniently placed towel before making his way out of the bathroom. "Wait for me, Spike! I'm coming!"

In the map room

After a short walk, both the dragon and prince reached the map room where Twilight and Rarity were waiting.

"And there's the colt of the hour!," Rarity said with a flip of her hair. "Did you finish unpacking your things?"

"Y-Yeah, everything's been sorted and put away," Blueblood informed her with a well-practiced smile, which catches Twilight's attention but manages to easily fool Rarity.

"Splendid!. Let's go to Sugarcube corner," Rarity exclaimed as she and Spike exit out of the room.

"She can be a bit intense," Blueblood mentions as he walked out from behind Twilight's legs.

"Please don't be too hard on her," Twilight requests. "She has a soft spot when it comes to little fillies and colts. She does have a younger sister, after all. Your case might be the saddest story she's heard yet." She explained.

"Also, great acting back there! Spike told me about finding you pretending to have a panic attack in the bathroom. You truly sold the image of a young foal suffering from a traumatic experience!" Twilight praised him for his performance.

"Heh...yeah, acting..." Blueblood commented, not daring to look up at her.

"Unless it really wasn't an act. You know you can always talk to me if something's on your mind, right?"

That caught Blueblood off guard.

"I know things may be hard for you right now and how you're most likely still scared and confused about everything that's happening, so I won't press the issue."

Blueblood let out a sigh of relief.

"But you should know that if you ever need to talk, I'll always be here to listen," she offered with a kind smile, while they made their way through the castle's antechamber.

Blueblood mulled over what she had just said before leaning into Twilight to give her a big hug, which stopped Twilight in her tracks.

"Twilight…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I don't want to be a burden, I'm just… s-so scared," sobbed Blueblood, unable to hold his emotions in check and openly crying into her fur.

Twilight covered him with a wing and brought him in for a closer hug. "It's going to be okay, Blueblood. Spike, the girls, Celestia, Luna, and I are all here for you. We're going to help you get through this, together," she said comfortingly.

Just as the hug was starting to borderline on awkward for Twilight, Blueblood let her go. She paid little mind to the tear stains on her coat but used her magic to tidy up the prince's face.

"Now, are you ready to go get some ice cream?"

Blueblood sniffled to clear his nose, then quickly nodded.

"Then come on, let's make sure Spike doesn't eat too much and get a tummy ache!" Twilight said, giving him a bump with her flank to get him moving again. They both continued through the castle's large main door and out onto the path leading to Ponville.


	9. Meet The Elements

**Meet The Elements**

**The Party Planner**

The sweet aroma of fresh pastries filled the bakery air. A bouncy mare with a darker, bubbly pink mane and tail completed another order. A pleased stallion trotted past with a bag of goodies. Pinkie waved to the next pony and everypony in the line moved forward one space like clockwork.

"Okay! Your usual basket of muffins and a chocolate milk. Coming right up, Derpy!" the pink earth pony happily exclaimed. In a flurry of movement, the order was completed and the gray pegasus exited the line. In a timely fashion, the next patron took their turn at ordering.

The pony on the counter squealed in excitement as her friend's approached, "Twilight, Rarity, Spike!"

"Hello, darling," Rarity mentions with a smile. "It's so nice to see you!"

"It's nice to see you too, Pinkie" Twilight adds.

"You here for your usual four cups of coffee with cream and sugar and a half-dozen glazed doughnuts with emerald sprinkles?"

"I'm not here for study fuel, Pinkie. The four of us came for some ice cream," Twilight replied.

"Four?" Pinkie looked around the store in confusion until Twilight stepped aside and from behind her a nervous white foal with a blond mane became apparent.

"Hello miss."

Pinkie casually waved from behind the counter, "Oh, hey there!"

Twilight perked up an ear, "Pinkie meet my distant cousin New Blood. New Blood, this is one of my best friends, Pinkie Pie."

"H-Hello miss P-Pie," Blueblood said, greeting her with a nervous wave. Pinkie happily reciprocated and trotted out from behind the counter.

"Hey ya New B, I'm Pinkie Pie but everypony calls me Pinkie." The pink mare wiggled a fore-hoof, "Normally, my wibbly leg would let me know if there's a new pony in town so I could throw them a party but I feel like we've already met you and I can't put my hoof on where." She softly responds, offering him a chocolate treat. "Apology muffin? It's on the house!" She offered with big, hopeful eyes.

Blueblood looked over to Twilight who gave him a simple nod. He took the offered treat and gave it a careful test bite before ferociously consuming it with vigour. "Waw miff phie! Thif muffin tafteff amasin!" He happily exclaimed, his mouth full of muffin.

Pinkie giggled at his reaction, "I'm so glad you like it! And you can just call me Pinkie!"

"Will do mi-, I mean Pinkie" Blueblood said between bites, then promptly stuffed his mouth with the remainder of the muffin.

While Blueblood was momentarily distracted, Twilight took Pinkie in her magic and pulled her aside. She took the opportunity to give her friend the same quick explanation that she had given Rarity.

Pinkie gasped. "Really!?"

Twilight's ears drooped, "Yes, which is why we're here."

"Awww, that poor little colt. You've got it Twilight. I'll be on my bestest behaviour. Not even a single shananigan." Pinkie responded with a salute, then hopped over the counter to directly land in the ice cream preparation station.

"So you're all here for some ice cream, right?"

Blueblood vigorously nodded his head the moment he finished his muffin, "Yes please!" His voice crackled with filly-like glee.

"Okie Doki Loki! And what flavor can I get 'cha?" She asked, taking a serving scoop into her hoof.

"I'll have a single scoop of double-chocolate truffle in a waffle cone, please," Twilight answered.

"Two scoops of low-fat vanilla in a bowl for me, darling," Rarity added politely.

"A scoop of a sapphire explosion in a cone for me" Spike replied coolly.

Unsure of what to order, Blueblood pointed a small hoof at the pale closest to him, "That one please."

Pinkie followed his hoof and tilted her head in confusion when she saw which flavor he was pointing at, "Are you sure you want pecan butter tart? You look more like a blueberry cheesecake kind of pony to me."

"Uh… I do?" Blueblood asked.

Pinkie nodded rapidly, "Uh huh! Those pecans will get stuck in your teeth and you'll be picking at them with your tongue all day, like this," Pinkie's tongue could be seen moving around inside her mouth, running along with her teeth in an exaggerated fashion.

Twilight's wings fluttered on her back while she observed Pinkie Pie's tongue technique in wide-eyed fascination.

"You should probably get blueberry cheesecake. Pinkie is rarely ever wrong about these things," Rarity bumped Twilights flank with her own, "Isn't that right, Twilight darling?"

"O-oh, right. Yes, absolutely!" She stammered.

"Err, okay. I guess I'll try the other one?"

"Coming right up!" Pinkie happily exclaimed, before madly scooping out the various flavors of ice cream and presenting them to the group, "Here ya go!"

Rarity paid the crazy mare and hoofed him his blueberry ice cream which he took with a gleeful smile and started to slowly lick it. Pinkie soon noticed something…a little off.

"Hmm, You know New B, I didn't notice this before, but I feel like we've already met. White coat, blonde mane, colt, Twilight's cousin…hmm" She thought hard to herself as she looked between him, the cone and Twilight over and over, repeating the same action again and again.

"Hmm, have you ever been to the Sparkleworks?"

Rarity gasped, "I hardly think that such a little colt has ever been to the Stalliongrad glitter mine, Pinkie."

Twilight was getting nervous, thinking Pinkie was about to untangle her web of lies and discover the truth, when Blueblood sniffed the air. "Hey, do you guys smell something burning?"

Pinkie gasped in panic, "MyTripleUpSideDownCakeGotToGoSeeYouLaterGoodbye," She screamed while dashing into the kitchen in a mad rush.

Blueblood quietly chuckled, "I like her; She's really funny."

"Oh dude, you don't even know the half of it," Spike chuckled along with Blueblood.

"What do you say we find a booth and enjoy our treats. When we're done we can continue with our tour." Rarity proposed. "There is still a lot more of Ponyville for you to see," She said as she leads the group to an empty table.

**The Farmer**

After a long walk, exploring all over Ponyville, with Spike acting as the groups self proclaimed tour guide, the gang finally arrived at the massive farm located on the outskirts of town.

"…And here we have Sweet Apple Acres, Equestria's largest apple farm, owned by the Apple family, which were the very first to settle this region and establish what later became Ponyville," Spike informed them, as the group entered the large farm. Blueblood looked around him with joyous wonder in his eyes.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen so many apple trees before!," He said, impressed.

Rarity giggled at his reaction, "Indeed, Applejack has done a marvelous job continuing her family's tradition of growing the best apples Equestria has ever seen-"

"You could say the apple doesn't fall from the tree!" a mare whose voice carried a southern twang called out to the group. The approaching earth pony's golden coat rippled in the sunlight over taut cords of muscles. Her mane, the color of a wheat field in Autumn, spilled out from beneath a lovingly worn stetson, to be tamed by a red ribbon into a ponytail. The pony's tail was similarly styled.

"Hi-ya Applejack," Spike responded to her with a wave of his claw.

Applejack tilted her hat to the dragon in a friendly manor, "Howdy, Spike. You here to join Applebloom 'n' her friends at the clubhouse?" she said before noticing the small white colt trotting with the group.

"Nah, not today. We're on a walking tour!" said Spike.

"Is that so? Looks like you picked up a straggler there, Twi. Howdy there, little feller. Spike bring ya here to join the cutiemark crusaders?"

Blueblood gave her a polite shake of his head, "Nope, sorry. I'm visiting my cousin for a while. My name's New Blood. It's very nice to meet you, miss."

"Well, the pleasure's all mine, partner," Applejack responded to him before looking to Rarity, "Ah didn't know you had family coming over Rares. Ya should have told me. I woulda had Granny Smith's make ya some of her famous apple pie!"

"Actually dear, his arrival was a surprise for me, too" She mentions as Twilight approached them.

"Rarity is not my cousin, miss Applejack, Twilight is," He corrected her.

"Twi, I'm starting ta think you have more family than I do," Applejack looked at her lavender friend with a warm smile.

Twilight nodded and introduced them to each other, "Applejack, meet my distant cousin, New Blood. New Blood, meet Applejack. She's one of my best friends here in Ponyville"

"Iffn that's too much of a mouthful, ya can just call me AJ. All of my friends do."

"Hi again," He replied with a giggle. "Hey miss AJ can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing, sugarcube."

"Did you really plant all of those trees?" He asks innocently, pointing to the orchard behind her, making AJ chuckled.

"Well maybe a few in the Northern field but nah," she flipped her head, gesturing to the stand of trees, "This here's is the family plot. When we have a family hoedown the new youngins to the family get to plant their own tree. Been an Apple family tradition for generations." She told him with pride.

"That's so cool!," He beamed. "You must have a really big family to plant so many trees."

"We've got some of the deepest roots 'round these parts," She said to him, scuffing a hoof through his hair, messing up his mane.

"So, what brings y'all here?" AJ asks, looking to the rest of the group.

"Hey Spike, why don't you take New Blood to see the chickens?" Twilight suggested.

"Wait, you also have chickens?" Blueblood asked.

"It's not a farm jus' 'cause of the apples, sugarcube. We cultivate all sorts of things. Chickens, cows, but don't talk to the goats. Those varmints are darn liars. They'll talk their fool head off about things they think they heard." She helpfully informs them. "Now go on, partner. We'll be right behind ya."

Spike gave an understanding nod and nudges Blueblood in his flank. "This way, dude. You think the trees here are impressive, these chickens will make you lose your mind!" He pointed to a wooden structure in the distance and they both head toward it.

Once they're far enough away, AJ turns to the others. "Alright, so, you got rid of 'em. Now can you tell me what's really goin' on?"  
"What makes you think something is going on?" Twilight nervously asked.

"We've all played poker together, remember? You have one of the worst poker faces I've ever seen." AJ replied.

"Err, right…" Twilight replied, sheepishly, and just like the others, explained what was going on with her cousin.

By the end of the story, AJ looked in the direction of Spike and Blueblood. "Land sakes, that's quite the story. He really doesn't remember anything?"

Twilight shook her head, "He didn't even know how to walk."

"He's so brave for doing what he's going through and trying his hardest at hiding it! But the truth is that he's still a scared and confused little colt, Applejack. That is why we didn't want to tell you with him present. It's not fair to him that he is constantly reminded of what he's lost." Rarity adds.

"Ah understand," Applejack responded with a nod. "But what in tarnation could just... wipe out his memories like that?" She asked in complete disbelief.

"I don't know Applejack, even Princess Celestia doesn't know the cause. He wouldn't even remember it himself, which may be for the best."

"Oh, he remembers, Twilight" Applejack said looking back at her, "You're right. The lil' critter's a fighter for tryin' to hide it… but ah've seen that look on mah own face since we lost our parents. That's the same look Applebloom would give me after she'd had a nightmare and she's too proud of herself to admit she had one." She informs. "Somethin's really scared him and I'm sure he remembers it."

Twilight, eyes wide in realization, as she recalled Blueblood's panic attack back at the castle.

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity brought her hoof to her mouth, "Do you think he's starting to remember?"

Applejack just shrugged, "Ah don't know... Maybe it was some another thing, but ah know I'm sure of one thing, keeping a brave face and pretendin' nothings bad's happenin' is never good. Ah say we let the poor colt sort himself out a bit and then afterwards we coach him into telling us what's happenin'. Afterall, It's not good forcin' these kinds of things outta ponies, but it's sure as hay not good to keep lyin' to yourself either."

Twilight nodded in approval "You're right AJ, we need to give him some space and ensure that he's in a safe state of mind."

"That was the point of his parents dropping him here, right Twilight? Now, what do ya say we go see how the little feller is doin'? Ah imagine by now he's bored of the chickens," AJ chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if he was, dear" Rarity commented as they all trot off to go and see Spike and Blueblood. When they finally reach the coup the trio saw something none of them were expecting.

"What in tarnation?" AJ muttered, completely shocked at what she was seeing.

Spike was sitting off to the side of the chicken pen, idly watching over his charge and lazaly eating from a bag of old popcorn, occasionally tossing a handful of the kernels at Blueblood. Not more than a few paces away the little colt could be heard giggling up a storm, but not seen, because he was completely buried under a feathery mass of happily clucking chickens. "They're so warm and fluffy!" he shrieked in delight. "Spike, get in here. You gotta try this!"

"Well now, this was unexpected," Rarity equally confused.

"Twi, are you sure that he's your cousin and not Fluttershy?" AJ asked while looking at her friend and pointing over to Blueblood.

**The Caretaker**

After getting some apples, courtesy of Applejack, and saying their goodbyes, the group decided to continue their tour of the Ponyville area by visiting a cottage not too far away from the farm.

Beyond Sweet Apple Acres, a little over half a kilotrot down the road, over a sturdy cobblestone bridge, and within stone throwing distance of the Everfree Forest, was a cottage built into a grassy hill.

As the group approached, Twilight gave her number one assistant a suggestion, "Spike, why don't you take New Blood around back and show him Fluttershy's newest guests?"

Spike snapped to attention and saluted. "Sure thing, Twi. You can count on me. Come on, dude, you're gonna want to see this!"

Within seconds, Spike and Blueblood had dashed off behind the cottage to play, which would give Twilight the time she needed to explain what was going on with her cousin, which she did. At this point, retelling the fabricated story had become almost second nature to her and flowed easily from her lips.

"Oh my," Fluttershy exclaimed. "That poor little colt," Her eyes had teared up at some point during the story. Now she was at the verge of crying. Always prepared, Rarity hoofed her friend one of her personal, embroidered handkerchiefs, which Fluttershy took to dab her eyes.

"It's… a lot, yeah. Which is why he'll be staying with us at the castle for a while. Since he lost most of his memories, the doctor thought it would be better to have him under constant supervision, preferably with family, to watch over him while he recovers. He wasn't physically injured, but they needed to keep the bed available for ponies who could be, so they sent him to live with his closest living relative, which would me. I brought him to you thinking that maybe your animal friends could help him feel a little more at home."

"Oh, but of course, Twilight. I'll gladly help," Fluttershy said with a soft smile.

"He seems to be very good with animals," Twilight mentioned, "Even Owlowiscious was very friendly toward him, which I thought was very unlike him."

Fluttershy hoofed Rarity back her handkerchief. "Thank you, Rarity. So, um, you see, it's pretty common for animals to be more receptive towards ponies that shy away from them," She informed her friends. "It's a sympathetic response that all creatures have but more, um, self-aware creatures subconsciously choose to ignore."

"But darling, how could you possibly know that?" Rarity asked while using her magic to levitate the now soiled handkerchief back into her saddlebag.

"Well, you see," Fluttershy rubbed her hooves with embarrassment, "You know how animals can sense fear?"

They all nodded in confirmation.

"Well, the truth is, fear is not the only thing they can perceive. They can also tell when their caretaker is in trouble, sad, angry, or even if they're not feeling well." She explained. "So when a pony gets seriously injured, critters, by their very nature, can somehow feel that, too. Some of my little animal friends have told me of their experiences when they lose their closest friends and family. According to them, being near somecritter that has just recently passed on, they feel a comforting warmth, like being reunited with a loved one that they thought was gone a long time ago. And that's how New Blood feels to them," She explained.

"If I'm understanding you correctly, you mean to tell us that your darling little friends believe that New Blood has had a near death experience? How could you possibly know all that so soon? We've hardly just introduced him to you." Rarity interjected.

"A little birdy told me," she simply replied.

Twilight frowned, "This is more serious than I thought."

Fluttershy nodded. "I don't know if we can help him, but I believe my little animals friends would like to try to help him overcome his recent trauma. You can count on my help too, Twilight."

"Thank you, Fluttershy, I really do appreciate it..." Twilight moved in and gave her shy pegasus friend a hug.

Rarity cleared her throat, "Ahem, yes, we're all here for him. But I believe it has been far too long. If New Blood is anything like my little Sweetie Belle, we shouldn't leave him unattended for too much longer."

"Of course you're right, Rarity," Twilight rolled her eyes. "We should go check on him and Spike. Make sure they're not stuck in a tree, or covered in sap, or built a catapult."

Rarity lead the group around to the back of Fluttershy's cottage, "Twilight, darling, I hardly think those two could possibly get into as much trouble as the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"Oh my..." Fluttershy stopped mid stride and gasped, confused at what she was seeing.

Spike was sitting off to the side of the puppy pen, idly watching over his charge and lazaly eating from a box of dog biscuits, occasionally tossing a broken treat at Blueblood. Not more than a few paces away the little colt could be heard giggling up a storm, but not seen, because he was completely buried under a fuzzy mass of excitedly barking puppies. "I don't even know how this keeps happening," he shrieked in delight. "But I love it!"

Spike licked off the crumbs from his claws, brushed off his rather full tummy and grinned, "Oh yeah, he's going to fit in just fine."


	10. First Lesson

**First Lesson **

As the moon rose over the horizon, Twilight and her group arrived at her castle laughing and sharing past experiences as they neared the front door to the castle.

"Oh, this certainly has been one glorious day." Rarity exclaimed before addressing Blueblood, "Did you enjoy the tour, dear?"

He nodded his head, "I sure did, Rarity! Thank you again for showing me around."

"It was my pleasure, darling." She gave him a friendly pat on the head, "If you ever need some nice formal wear, don't be afraid to visit my boutique, alright? Do you think you can remember that for me?"

"Of course, I'd never forgotten." He smiled proudly, which made Rarity giggle.

"Oh, as for you," She turned to Twilight, "Don't worry about his first day at school. I'll make sure to tell Sweetie Bell to look after him. He'll be better than fine."

"Thank-you, Rarity," Twilight said, relieved. She lit up her horn and magic open the castle door.

"Until next time everypony, ta-ta!" Rarity flipped her hair, turned around to leave the castle, and began her trot back to the boutique, leaving them alone.

"Wow. I think I understand why aunt Celly wanted me to come here, this place is awesome!" Blueblood yelled, jumping up and down still in excitement, which further concerned Twilight.

"Blueblood."

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Can you do me a small favor?"

"Of course, what do you need?"

"Please tap your necklace twice."

"Right away Twilight," and did as instructed, returning to his older self, who swayed about dizzily. "Oh wow, my head… Why is the room spinning?" Blueblood held his head with a hoof.

"Overuse of magic can do that to ya," Spike commented as he helped steady Blueblood with a claw. "Remember what Princess Luna said; You don't shapeshift, you _become_ what you imagine. So, the longer you stay transformed, the longer you'll start to feel like you're the thing you've become."

"I feel weird," He shook his head, then looked at his hoof, "Before, it was like my body was pumped full of energy. Now it's like my head is all… fuzzy. Kind of like when you stay up too late and get overtired. Everything's all wibble wobble." He slowly shook his hoof up and down, "Look Twillie, it's a rubber pencil!"

"No wonder princess Luna was wary of him using the necklace," Twilight replied as the three continued down the large hallway "It seems that even with amnesia you aren't completely safe from the side effects. You shouldn't risk yourself using it more than absolutely necessary." She informed him. "Lucky for you, I know exactly what we should do!"

"What'd ya have in mind, Twiggy?" Blueblood asked with a bit of a slur.

Instead of answering, Twilight guided them both towards the main library located at the rear of the castle and started searching on a bookshelf in the far, back corner of the room, taking and putting away various books while doing so.

Blueblood yawned, "Uuhhh, Twiles?"

"Dude, you don't sound so good. You should probably sit down before you fall over. It could be a while, Twilight is in," Spike made air quotes with his claws, "_Study mode_. Right now, unless you're a book, nothing else exists to her. I looked it up once. Something about object permanence and tunnel vision. I'm not really good with all that psychology stuff. We just gotta give her a moment."

"That's a lot of words I don't understand, little bro." Blueblood looked around, "So, what is this place exactly?"

"This is the castle library of course! Anything you're interested in, we have a book for it." Spike explained.

"Wait, really? Even, say… magic spells?"

"Naturally, it is Twilight's library after all," He responded with an affirmative nod.

"And ghost stories?"

"Some of the scariest. A few have even found to be true!"

"Cool! I wonder if we know somebody who's a ghost?"

"Probably not, most ghosts are really hostile to other ponies."

At that moment Twilight appeared from behind one of the stacks. She heaved a burly looking volume in front of them and gingerly set it open on the floor, "We'll be using this. And spike, try not to startle him, he's really impressionable right now" She stated with an annoyed look on her face, pointing her hoof at a specific page. It had a detailed illumination of a unicorn standing in front of a rectangular floor-length mirror with wavy lines for sides. However, instead of reflecting the pony's image, the mirror showed a griffon."

"Ah Twilight, I can't read, remember?" Blueblood mentioned.

"Oh right… sorry," Twilight muttered sheepishly. "The spell I'll be using will be a unique spell similar to a funhouse mirror spell. However, its a lot more complex so not many unicorns know it, meaning its a safe bet to use. Once I cast it over the castle, it'll mask your appearance to anypony that comes inside, as long as you stay inside the castle. To anypony who visits, you'll appear as your colt self" she lectured, "That way, we can keep your visit a secret _without_ risking your health."

Blueblood looked uncertain, "That just seems overly complicated. Why can't I just be me? We used to know each other before I lost my memory, right?"

She dismissively waved a hoof, "Because I've already established your story as a young colt staying as a guest at the castle. Having your older self prancing about and the younger missing will look really suspicious. Don't worry Blueblood, with enough mana this spell can be made nearly permanent. I'll simply attach it to the ambient magic of the castle itself." Twilight smirked with complete confidence.

"But what if somepony touches me?" Blueblood mentioned, "You're making an illusion, right? So, what happens if a pony tries to give me a hug and instead ends up holding my hoof or something?"

"That's why this spell is sure to work," She tapped the page of the book, "This spell will also mess with their sense of depth perception. So if anypony tried that, they would adjust their aim," She informed with a grin, "Trust me, it can even change your voice!"

"Yeah Blueblood, it's like you've never been to a funhouse run by a unicorn before. Besides, you got nothing to worry about. Twilight's, like, super good when it comes to casting spells and stuff," Spike said.

"It just seems like using the amulet but with extra steps," Blueblood grumbled.

"But with much less mana drain!" She declared, before abruptly charging her horn. "Please stand back Spike, I'm about to use the science of magic!"

Spike immediately complied, and soon after, a small mote of purple electricity emerged from the tip of her horn. It arched across the room, then popped in a ring of light that expanded to cover the entire room in a flash, before slowly dissipating to just a few sparkles of glitter which gently wafted to the floor.

The prince looked at his hooves and tail but didn't notice any changes, "Did it work?"

"See for yourself," Twilight replied with a smirk, conjuring a large mirror in front of him, revealing his colt counterpart.

"Wow! It can even fool reflections?" Blueblood exclaimed, impressed by the result.

"Not quite, but the result is the same. The spell on the castle will also affect you. It would have been needlessly complex to limit the effect to certain ponies. You're seeing what we see." Twilight mentioned with pride. "Now we can relax a bit more during your stay in the castle."

"I really don't know what to say, Twilight. Seriously, thank you!," Blueblood said appreciatively, with a huge smile and a loving hug, which made her giggle and return the gesture. "Anytime cousin, you know I'm here to help."

They ended the hug and soon Blueblood gave a big yawn, "Well, as much as I'd like to stay up longer, it's been a really busy day. I think I'll have to call it for the night."

"I'm with you there, buddy," Spike added with an accompanying yawn. "It really was a long day," He said, scratching his head as he left the room. "See you two tomorrow."

Twilight nodded, "Maybe it's for the best. Tomorrow you'll start your first day of school. It would be wise if you got as much rest as possible."

"Agreed.," He nodded and started to leave.

"Blueblood," Twilight called out to him before he got too far.

"Yeah, Twi?" , He looked back at her and noticed how she looked down uncomfortably and conflicted, "What happened this morning" She gazes back at him, "You know that even if you were a colt I was being serious, right?"

Blueblood's ears pinned back, then he turned to the hallway, "I know, Twilight."

"I meant every word, Blueblood. I'm always here for you if you ever wanted to talk, about anything. You know that, right?."

The Prince pondered his options, "I know Twilight, I… will try my best."

"That's all I want," She smiled as she closed the book with her magic.

"Twilight" Blueblood called. She turned back to see that he was still not looking at her. "I was… " He shook his head, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Goodnight Twilight."

Twilight wanted to say something, extending her hoof but she stopped herself and retracted it, "You too..." She looked back at him with concern as she watched him slowly leave.

**The next day at Miss Cheerilee's school **

As morning classes began, a purple earth pony mare finished writing her lessons for the day on the large chalkboard, as colts and fillies entered her classroom and sat in their respective seats. Once she'd finished, she put the chalk away and addressed her class with a smile, "Good morning students!"

"Good morning miss Cheerilee!" The fillies and colts responded in unison.

"Kids, I'd like to introduce you all to a new student that will be joining us for some time," Cheerilee informed them with cheer evident in her voice, "Princess Twilight's distant cousin, New Blood." She points a hoof at the door of her classroom where Blueblood, in his colt form, was standing with his head held low holding his small saddlebag, trying to be as small as possible.

"Don't be afraid sweetheart, come in and introduce yourself!" Cheerilee coached him, and soon the colt walked inside and waved at them, "H-hi everyone"

"Hi New Blood" the class responded, some even waving to him.

"New Blood, why don't you go and find yourself a seat? There's one available behind Sweetie Bell."

"O-Okay Miss Cheerilee."

Miss Cheerilee leaned over to him, "Oh and don't worry about today's classes, Twilight's already informed me about your 'situation'" She whispered into his ear, "Since you're new here, today you may just sit and listen to the class, will that be okay with you?"

Blueblood nodded and went to the available desk without saying too much. He sat down and immediately withdrew a book from his saddlebag, opening it to the first of many illustrated pages. It was a picture book on the Equestrian alphabet that Twilight had packed for him. She had said it was titled, "_Prim & Proper's Guides to Early Education: Phonetic Pictorials_". This was the first of five such volumes. He casually flipped through the first couple of pages, noticing the varied, vivid visuals on the very thin vellum. The book must have been three horseshoes thick and could easily contain over one thousand pages. Blueblood nodded to himself, once he figured out the numbering system, he'd flip to the final page to check the count. Flipping back to the first page, he began his studies with determination.

"Well kids, I hope you've all brought your pencils because today's class is a very important lesson. You'd all be wise to remember it." She lectured, before addressing the chalkboard. "Continuing on with last week's lessons on pony magic, we are going to be discussing 'Magic Surges'," She started, pointing towards three images, consisting of a pegasus, earth pony, and unicorn.

Blueblood looked up, interested in the subject at hoof. He looked at the teacher before gazing at the book, ultimately deciding to put it away for now.

"As you all know, magic is a primordial factor in life for Equestria. It exists in all forms and shapes, sizes, organic and inorganic alike, and of course, that includes us." She explained as she sketched the explosion mark around the three ponies.

"And because of that, all of us need to be careful with our emotions and how we express or control them" She chuckled, and then looked at the class "Unless of course somepony wishes to have a windigo as your new neighbor, right?"

The entire class broke out into a fit of laughter at that, before slowly dying down.

"Miss Cheerilee!", An orange filly pegasus with a purple mane raised her hoof, "Was a magic surge the reason windigos showed up in the first place?"

"Close Scootaloo, but no. The cause of their arrival was hate, not rage, they are two separate things, ``she explained. "You see since the magic in our bodies is linked to our emotions, it's important that , when angered, we try our best to keep it under moderation and no matter what happens, never contain it." She warned the class.

"That is because, when a pony's anger reaches a certain degree, his or her body is simply unable to contain the build-up of magic that is produced as a result and has no choice but to expel it all in one big wave. This phenomenon is what we call a 'Magic Surge', and it can result in some serious and dangerous side effects," She lectured as she continued to write on the chalkboard.

"For earth ponies like myself for example. Since we all have an inherent connection with the earth, from our ancestors. A Magic Surge could result in permanent death of the land around us, or even worse, a frenzy in the flora and fauna that could result in something similar to what we now know as the Everfree forest" She Informed"And I'm sure that nopony here would like to end up trapped in that kind of place, right?"

The earth ponies in the room flinched and shook their heads rapidly.

"We call those cases, 'The sorrow of the land" Cheerilee continued, as she wrote the names on the chalkboard next to the earth pony, using her mouth.

Blueblood looked to his classmates who were using either their mouths or their magic to write.

"Moving on, we have, the Pegasus" Cheerilee pointed to the picture of the pegasus. "As the controllers of the weather, a surge could result in their bodies becoming literal storm magnets, and attract clouds at an extremely fast rate, so much so, that in a best-case scenario, one single and healthy adult pegasus would create a single violent thunderstorm. And in the worse case, he or she could accidentally provoke a natural disaster that would just keep on growing out of proportion, making it extremely hard to dissolve.  
A literal snowball effect. That kind of surge is called, 'The Living Storm', an unpredictable destructive storm that could last weeks"

"In all three cases, a Magic Surge would leave a pony drained of all their energy, so if it happened to a pegasus in the sky, with a storm of that proportion, one can only pray for a miracle." She utters in sadness as she wrote the term for the pegasi, and the children with wings, clenched to their sides in utter fear.

"And finally, we have the unicorn type of rage, called 'The Grand Reverse.'" She adds.

Blueblood looks at his horn in worry.

"As the closest of the three tribes, when it comes to the manipulation of magic, a unicorn must always be careful during a burst of rage, since this type is directly linked with their cutie marks attributes, and an episode of anger will reverse it. For example, take a pony like Twilight Sparkle. Her cutie mark stands for the understanding and performing of magic in all of its forms. A grand reverse would result in her doing the exact opposite, in other words, destruction in its purest of forms."

She writes all of it down, "From the three tribes, the unicorn rage has the most direct consequences. Because this one affects the body of the user, not the surroundings, that kind of magical stress would utterly drain all of a unicorns energy, as well as magic, which could prove fatal if it remains for a long period of time."

She finished and then looked at the class. "Remember kids, it's okay to express your anger if the situation provokes it, however, a 'Magic Surge' is never okay. Always be careful and keep in mind how to, de-escalate a tense situation. A 'Magic Surge' is nothing to joke about. Lives have been lost because of it."

At that moment a bell rang out, announcing the end of the first period.

"Time for recess, go play kids! we'll continue this after recess." She announces and soon everypony starts to leave the room, minus Blueblood who instead goes towards Cheerilee.

"That was an amazing lesson Miss Cheerilee!," Blueblood praised, making her happy.

"I'm glad that you liked it New Blood. I always try to make my lessons as interesting as possible."

"Well you sure did well today, but there's something I was left wondering about..."

"Yes? What is it dear?"

"Well, you told us about what happens if an earth pony, a unicorn or a pegasus gets really angry, but what if an alicorn that has all three attributes had an episode?" He asked innocently making Cheerilee flinch and look away. "Nightmare Moon, perhaps…?" She whispered mostly to herself.

"What was that miss?"

"A-Ah, nothing! Nothing dear, that's something I'll be teaching later on, for now, why don't you go outside and play with the others foals?" She lightly pushed him out of the room and then pointed to the same orange filly who was talking with a white unicorn filly and a yellow Earth pony filly with a red mane with a large pink big bow.

"Oh look the cutie mark crusaders are over there, why don't you go and talk with them? I'm sure they would love to play with you!" Cheerilee mentions quickly, pushing him one last time before going back to her class. Blueblood looked back at her, confused before shrugging and doing as she'd said, while the teacher watched him go.

_He really is Twilight's cousin..._

She mentioned with a giggle

_The first question he asks and I don't even know the answer!_

She then looked through a window, particularly at the castle with intrigue.

_True be told, I don't think I've ever seen the princess ever get enraged, and to be honest I don't know if there's even documentation of an alicorn suffering from a rage surge…. Could Nightmare Moon be considered an example?_

She thought it over before shaking her head.

_Oh what am I thinking? A burst of rage never lasts that long...of course, Nightmare Moon couldn't be that..._

She chuckled again before wiping off her chalkboard.

Meanwhile at the train station

A blue pegasus mare with a rainbow color mane and tail stepped out of the train, stretching in joy "Aw it's good to be back!"

"Oh come on Dash." A light purple unicorn with a dark purple color mane and tail, with a blue stream passing through it, groaned at the pegasus as she emerged from the train,"We weren't gone for that long" She informs with an eye roll, "Plus you said that you enjoyed our mission, especially since you got a chance to have another race with Lighting Dust."

Rainbow Dash just shrugged at the comment "What can I say Starlight, there's no place like home!" She replies, before abruptly lifting off into the sky.

"You won't see any arguments from me," She exclaimed as she too left the station, "Wanna come to the castle and tell Twilight how the mission went?" Starlight politely asked Dash.

"Nah, you can go do that egghead stuff off yours. I think I'll go find a nice cozy cloud to nap on for a while, maybe surprise Scootaloo and see if we can go get some sweets from Sugarcube Corner, See ya later Starlight!" Dash mock saluted, and then dashed away, as her friend just waves her goodbye.

_Well, time to see Twilight_

Starlight thought to herself before chucking a little as she headed towards Twilight's castle.

_Knowing Ponyville, and how we've been away for a whole week... I'd imagine some crazy adventure's happened during our absence_


	11. Rumors And Raindrops

**Rumors And Raindrops**

Mentally sighing, Celestia continued to listen to her subject, patiently waiting for her - a yellow unicorn mare with a light purple mane and tail (with one white stripe going through both), a white shirt with a pink sweater tied around her neck, and some eyeshadow - to finish her ranting so she could answer her question as calmly as possible.

"…so as you can see, my concerns regarding your nephew are more than well-placed, your Highness."

"And I appreciate the…detailed explanation, Miss Upper Crust, but as I told you, there is no reason to worry. As I've said before, my nephew simply had to leave Canterlot due to royal business."

"Oh? But disappearing all of a sudden doesn't fit the prince at all your Highness! As one of his most trusted friends, he always told me in advance when he was planning on trips, so I would always have the first-word involving travel."

"And as I've told you, this one was special, a last minute emergency meeting that couldn't wait, and of which called for his presence specifically."

"Oh my, I didn't know the prince was starting to ascend the royal ladder, your Highness," she spoke with some surprise. "Must be all the hard work he's put in. He is, after all, the perfect image of the upper class and the Canterlot nobility," she proclaimed with rising 'pride'.

_Whatever floats your boat,_ Celestia thought with small annoyance, doing an eye roll as Upper Crust started to giggle before continuing. "And to think, there are rumors saying that you decided to cast a spell upon him that went wrong, and as a result, his entire mind got erased! So in shame, you and your sister decided to banish him forever to the badlands, where he can only drool and crawl like a snail. I mean, could you imagine that your Highness?"

"Oh, the imaginations of some ponies, right?" Celestia joked with a practiced smile. _How are these rumors spreading so quickly!?_ She wondered this to herself with some concern while Upper Crust asked a question.

"Can I at the very least know when he'll be back?"

The princess replied quickly. "I'm afraid I can't share that information. The situation he's dealing with is very...delicate."

"Oh...such a shame. Oh well, thank you for your time, your Highness." Upper Crust gave her a small bow, following up with, "Have a nice day, your Highness."

"Likewise," Celestia replied with her usual smile as Upper Crust left. Shortly after, the next petitioner approached the princess.

While that was happening, Upper Crust continued further down the hallway until she spotted a familiar white pegasus, waiting for her from behind a large, ornate pillar.

"How did it go?" The white pegasus called out, looking to Upper Crust curiously.

"You were right Sharp Shot, the princess is evading the question. What about you? Anything on his whereabouts?"

He shook his head. "Prince Blueblood is nowhere to be found. I've searched everywhere, but there wasn't any clue of him, and we both know that subtlety isn't exactly his forte."

"This can only mean one thing: something really happened to him and the princesses are trying to hide it from us."

Sharp Shot nodded. "This could be promising, if Blueblood really has amnesia and we can prove it, the upper class would finally obtain the bargaining chip that we have been waiting for so long."

"Plus the gossip! Or even better, if he doesn't remember a thing, I could tell him that he is married to one of my cousins and I will instantly become a duchess!"

"And that could be just the tip of the iceberg," the stallion said before looking around. "For now, we need to focus on. See what else we can find, and most importantly, discover where exactly the prince ended up." As he said this, he slipped back into the shadows. "Now go, the guards will arrive here soon on their usual patrol and they can't see us together. We should continue this at your house." Upper Crust nodded, the two heading in different directions...unaware that a maid with yellow fur was watching them from another pillar.

_I need to warn the princess,_ the maid thought before darting toward the throne room as fast as she could, worry in mind.

Back in Ponyville

"Go long New B!" Scootaloo yelled before throwing a rubber ball as hard as she could.

"I got it, I got it!" Blueblood shouted as he chased the now-falling ball. Feeling like he was going to miss, he jumped and came close to catching it when a cyan bluer swooped down and caught the ball. He fell to the ground in slight surprise, letting out a small grunt from the impact.

"And Rainbow makes the save!" Rainbow Dash cheered, landing on the ground and spinning the ball in one of her forehooves.

"What just happened?" Blueblood asked as he stood up, brushing himself off before looking to the newcomer.

"Rainbow Dash!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders cheered in unison, rushing towards Rainbow who let out a small chuckle.

The mare ruffled Scootaloo's mane with her free hoof, looking down at her warmly. "Hiya squirt did ya miss me?"

"Who wouldn't," the orange filly replied, smiling up at her. "Did your mission go well?" She asked with growing wonder.

"Did you bring us any souvenirs?" Sweetie Bell asked with big puppy eyes.

"Was it any dangerous?" Apple Bloom asked with curiosity.

Before the mare could speak of her 'awesome' mission, Blueblood approached the four. "Ah, miss?" This caught their attention, Rainbow especially considering she hadn't met the colt before. "Can we have our ball back?" He asked, pointing to the rubber ball in Rainbow's hoof.

"Sure squirt." She gave him the ball back, following up with a question of her own. "Who are you? Are you new in town?"

"He's Twilight's cousin, New Blood!" Sweetie Bell answered, withdrawing from the mare and approaching the Prince with a smile. "Rarity told me all about him!"

"Twilight's cousin?" Rainbow looked at them with a raised brow before looking at Blueblood. "I don't exactly see the resemblance."

"We're kind of distant cousins," Blueblood added quickly...

At that moment, the Crusaders gasped in realization and pulled Rainbow away from Blueblood, who was preoccupying his attention with the ball. "Rainbow, you need to be careful not to spook him too much," Scootaloo whispered.

"What? Why?"

"AJ told me about it," Applebloom said. "Apparently, something really bad happened to him recently, something that scared him so much that he lost all of his memories!"

"What?" Rainbow looked at them with a raised eyebrow again, having a hard time believing their words.

"It's true Rainbow, Rarity told me about it too, and Fluttershy confirmed it. Something very bad happened to him...he almost died." Sweetie's voice became quieter as she mentioned that bit. "That is why he doesn't even know how to use magic," she spoke sadly, her features wilting. "He's probably still very scared."

"Wow, that sounds really intense..." Rainbow said softly before an irritated look came across her expression. "This isn't some kind of prank, right? Because if it is, I'm telling you, this one has some really bad taste."

"We swear we're telling the truth!" Applebloom told her quickly, albeit in a hushed tone.

"Ah, excuse me?" Blueblood called to them, his attention lost from the ball. "Is something wrong? Why'd you all suddenly gather around and start to whisper?" He asked, confused from their actions.

"Oh, nothing's wrong! We were, ah…we were…" Applebloom started, but couldn't think of what else to say.

"…we just remembered about a surprise party for Diamond Tiara that Rainbow agreed to assist with!" Sweetie Bell finished for her friend.

"I did?" Dash asked quietly before being given a small nudge from Scootaloo. "Er, I mean yeah, I did!"

"And we needed to whisper in case she was nearby, y'know, keep the surprise!"

"Oh! that explains the whispering," Blueblood said before nodding. "Now I get it"

_Geez, is he that gullible? Maybe he really did lose his memories._ As Rainbow Dash thought this, she approached him with a beat of her wings, kicking some dust up into the air. "Anyway, nice to meet ya squirt, the name's Rainbow Dash, but you probably already knew that by now."

"Yeah, you're like the big sister of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right?"

"That's right, I'm the...wait, what?" She looked at him, confused.

"Yeah, how else would you explain why they're so happy to see you?"

"Well duh, because I'm a superstar! Even if you don't remember, it's impossible not to know who I am!" She struck a heroic pose.

"...ah'm sorry Miss Dash, I don't."

That caught her off guard. Breaking the pose, she darted to him and grabbing him by the shoulder. Lifting the colt up into the air, she started firing off titles. "Fastest flyer in Equestria? An Element of Harmony? Member of the Wonderbolts?"

"...what's a Wonderbolt?" Blueblood asked, both confused and a little unnerved.

Dash gasped in horror before shaking him. "HOW COULD YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE COOLEST FLYING TEAM EVER!?"

"Rainbow Dash, stop!" The three fillies said this with rising alarm, concerned for Blueblood.

Meanwhile, the shaking was starting to make Blueblood dizzy, along with making even more dust come into the air from Dash's wings flapping in confusion. It was but a few seconds before the dust reached his nose, which began to itch terribly. He scrunched his face up to stop the sneeze, but with the shaking and his dizziness, he quickly succumbed.

Without anymore thinking and no control, the colt sneezed, accidentally charging his horn and firing off a magic beam. It nailed Dash square in the forehead, causing her to let him go as she cleaned her face with some amount of disgust.

"Hey! Turn your head when you're about to sneeze!" Rainbow scolded, her anger quickly dissipating as she noticed the way her voice was coming out. "What the…?" She held her throat in confusion, not understanding why her voice was suddenly high pitched.

"Ah, Rainbow Dash?" A deep, booming voice echoed out in front of Rainbow, startling her and causing her to look upwards. She saw Blueblood standing in front of her, but this time, he was gargantuan "Are you…okay?"

"New Blood., what did you do?! You turn yourself into a giant!" She shouted, alarm coloring her voice.

"Actually..." Another deep, yet feminine voice called out, and Scootaloo appeared beside him. "It's kinda the other way around Rainbow."

"S-Scoots, please tell me that you were hit by the spell too," Rainbow responded with rising fear. A gigantic leaf passed within her eyesight, and she turned to look at it with wide eyes. This confirmed her fears, she was extremely small now.

"Okay, Dash, don't panic…" Applebloom started, trying to keep her calm. Her words fell on deaf ears, however, as Rainbow just started to scream in fright, making the four around her somewhat wary.

"W-well, at least now you can see more of the resemblance with Twilight!" Sweetie Bell said, trying to alleviate her stress.

"Sweetie, this isn't a time for jokes!" Dash glared at the filly, who only giggled in response.

"Sorry, sorry it's just that it's kind of hard taking you seriously with that high-pitched voice."

"Come on girls, be cool, Rainbow Dash needs our help," Scootaloo said, trying to be mature about the situation but failing to withhold her own chuckles.

"I would say she's more like a Raindrop now," Sweetie Bell said off-hoofed, making the other two fillies begin to snicker.

"Would it be bad for me to say that, even if this is bad, she looks kind of cute like this?" Blueblood said while looking at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, his words being enough for them to burst into a fit of laughter, much to the displeasure of Rainbow. Feeling that he may have upset her even more, he picked up the colorful pony and held her up with a hoof. "Don't worry miss, we'll help you."

"You better," Dash warned him, her miniature wings extending. "Now let's go to Twilight's place!" She said, taking of as fast as she could towards the castle...yet, in the eyes of the kids, she was moving really slow.

"What's happening?" Scootaloo asked, alarmed.

"Basic proportion plus distance," Blueblood explained with growing worry. "She's too small now, the trip there will take her years, and that isn't the worst part."

"There's something worse?" Applebloom asked, concern lacing her words.

"Right now, she is the size of a fly, if a bird sees her, they'll try to eat her. And with Miss Rainbow being slower, she doesn't have a chance!"

"I can still hear you, you know!" Dash yelled at them in annoyance, which increased further as Blueblood grabbed her body with his forehoof. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry Miss Rainbow, but it's too dangerous. You'll need to stay with us until we can return you to your original size."

At that moment, they hear a bell ring nearby. "Oh no, recess is over, we need to get back to the classroom!"

"What? Oh no, no no no, we are going to Twilight's Castle right now!" Rainbow demanded, but Blueblood just ignored her and placed her within his mane, behind his ear. He quickly made sure she was secure enough before galloping towards the schoolhouse. "Hang on Miss Rainbow!"

"But I don't want to go to school!" Rainbow complained as she, with no choice left, held onto his ear for dear life.

Later on, at Twilight's castle

"…and after their race was over, Dash and I boarded the next train here," Starlight finished, her story coming to a close. She sat on Fluttershy's throne, Twilight on her own and rolling her eyes as she gave the story some minor thought.

"Of course she would. Dash would never miss a chance for a race, especially if it's against somepony as fast as her," She said with a little mirth.

"So...who won?" Spike asked, sitting in his own chair with a curious expression.

"I think Rainbow would like to tell you about that part, Spike," Starlight responded, looking to the dragon. "And it's not important right now, what is important is that the mission was a success and Dash got her friend back!"

" that's good to hear," Twilight said with a smile.

"So, how have things been going here? Any world-ending threats come by while Dash and I were gone?" Starlight asked with a knowing look.

"Why would you think something like that would happen?" Twilight asked with a raised brow.

"Because, Twilight, this is Ponyville. Something's always happening in this, quote-unquote, 'quiet village'." To further her point, Starlight raised her hooves and made the imaginary apostrophes.

"Can't argue with that," Spike muttered before speaking up. "Actually, yeah, we have something going on at the moment," he said before looking to Twilight with an expectant look. "We might as well tell her Twilight, they're gonna be roommates soon enough...kinda."

"'Roommates'?" Starlight asks with a raised brow. "What, you renting my room out or something?"

"No, of course not!" Twilight shifted around uncomfortably for a couple of seconds before she looked to the mare, her expression turning serious. "It's kind of a long story, and in order to tell you, I will need you to promise me that what you are about to hear is not going to leave this room. Understood?"

Starlight was slightly jarred by the shift in tone, but nodded nevertheless. "You can count on me, Twilight."

"Thank you for understanding," Twilight said with a small smile, relaxing a little before beginning to explain. "You see, for the next couple of weeks, a family member of mine is going to stay with us here. And the reason for that is because he had a mysterious accident that erased all of his memories."

"Well, that sounds serious," Starlight said with a nod before raising a brow. "Although, I don't see why you ask me to keep quiet about it."

"That isn't the part I need you to keep quiet about - it's what I'm about to tell you." Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. "Starlight, I know you're a smart mare - maybe even smarter than me - and that's why I know it's just a matter of time before you start to see something…off about my story, and the pony that will be staying with us. Seeing as how, well, some part of it's a cover story." This peeked Starlight's interest.

"It's not because we want to lie to you Starlight, not even Twilights' friends could know the truth. It's simple that if the public, in general, finds out that he doesn't remember a single thing, they can use it for their own personal gain" Spike mentions

"Oh, I understand now" Starlight nods before looking down in shame "I'm familiar with the manipulation game"

"This is nothing like what you did Starlight" Twilight answer back. "But it's more like the fear of a pony from where he came from, trying to do just that similar. That is why he is here, Ponyville can act as a safe place"

" 'Safe place?' " Starlight ask making air quotes

"When it comes to his re-learning I meant." Twilight defend herself "And until he can master the basics, and can have a better understanding of the world around him, I need you to please play along with the act and let him recover in peace"

Starlight closes her eyes and then sighed "Ok Twilight" She opens them and smiles at the princess "I am interested in knowing what is all of this about, but because you ask me. I will not try to find out what it is and will leave him alone"

"Thank you Starlight" Twilight sigh in relief "I knew you would understand"

"Anytime. So what can you tell me? Is there anything I could do to help?"

Spike then had an idea "You could help him with his magic lessons" He exclaims before looking at Twilight "It could be great since New Blood could learn from one of the best, and Starlight can practice her friendship lessons on him" He suggests

"Spike that is a great idea!" Twilight tells in excitement

"So that is his name?" Starlight asks with a raised eyebrow "And I'm gonna take a wild guess and say its fake"

"Starlight you promised," Twilight tells in worry

"Sorry, sorry I swear that was the only one. And I like that idea a lot, I don't do much in the school after all so having the company would be great" She tells with a smile.

"Plus you can go explore more of the town with him and have fun" Spike continues "Just don't try to insert all the knowledge on his brain all at once with a spell," He tells a bit wary and Starlight rolls her eyes.

"You used a multilayer spell for a shortcut **once** and no pony ever lets it go"

Twilight and Spike chuckle a bit, and Starlight soon joins in.

"So? When could I meet him?"

Twilight looks into a nearby clock "Seem like you are in luck, his first class is already over so he could be arriving here very soon"

Right on cue Blueblood and the crusaders arrive in the room in a hurry.

"Oh, hey New Blood, how was school?" Spike asks with some wonder.

"Oh it was great, miss Cheerilee is a great teacher and I even manage to make some new friends" He points at the cutie mark crusaders, who were waving at them.

"Hello!? Daredevil in here!" Dash yelled from his mane which confused and surprised both Twilight, Spike, and Starlight.

"But then something bad happens" He moves his mane and takes Dash on his hoof "Can you fix it Twilight?"

"Please, say that you can!" Dash begs as she looks at Twilight who's jaw just drop.

"Ah, how did this even happen?" Starlight asked in complete shock

"Well, I kind of sneeze?" That is the only thing Blueblood can tell with a smile.


	12. The Meaning Of The Star

**The Meaning Of The Star**

Soon after, returning Rainbow Dash to her original side, and greetings, as well as apologies. Twilight decided to write a letter to Princess Celestia asking for clues in how Blueblood was able to perform such an advanced spell by accident, hoping that she would get some answers. To her luck, she didn't have to wait for too long.

_**My dearest Twilight Sparkle **_

_**I'm so happy to know that, even with his mind gone, the potential of my nephew hasn't been lost. I imagine that you are full of questions right now, so allow me to clarify things. Although unusual, the showing of such extraordinary magical potential in Blueblood is not something to be surprised of, because just like you and Starlight, he too is a prodigy on the fields of magic. All stars Cutie Marks relate to magic**_

Twilight had to stop reading for a moment and blink a couple of times in surprise, as she starts to remember the princes' cutie mark, a cardinal star.  
Something that never really caught her attention until today since that mark could easily represent the reading of maps or orientation, except that she never once saw the prince even take the slightest interest in the outdoors, so the more she thought about this, the more sense it made. Shaking her head she got back to the letter.  
your disbelief

_**Since the early days, Blueblood always managed to show incredible potential in the fields of magic, and the day he receives his cutie mark was because of an extraordinary act. He obtained it, after taking five small pieces of wood and transforming them into twenty statues that, to this day, still decorate the royal garden. A spell that, by all intents and purposes, just didn't exist.**_

_**Like your cutie mark, which represents the study of magic; Starlight's whose represents the experimentation of magic; Your older brothers represents the mastery of defensive magic.**_

**It was a real shame really, he could have easily led the explorations of new magic into uncharted territories, just like Starswirl the Bearded once did. However, at the first signs of adversity, he decided that discovering new magic was too hard for his liking and decided to abandon it altogether. As you could imagine, that was one particularly hard day for me, not only because I couldn't be part of his life, but also because he was giving up his true calling. And that is why I'm so happy to hear that his potential has once again, re-ignite and the possibilities of new spells can be achieved once again. Do not worry about teaching him any advanced magic you wish to impart Twilight, in fact, I ask you to please not do it. I lost my opportunity a long time ago. I will not lose it again.**

Once she is finished reading the letter, Twilight put it down and start to process what she just read, with a mix of wonder and surprise.

_Prince Blueblood, a pony who seemed to have no care for magic whatsoever or any seeming aptitude for it, was a prodigy?!_

She turned back to see Blueblood was chatting with Starlight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash in the living while drinking some tea. The cutie mark crusaders were already gone, to their respective houses since they still had work to do and couldn't stay for too long.

_And the reason why only Princess Celestia knew about it, was because he just thought that the idea of hard work and determination was out of his comfort zone, so he just abandoned it before anyone knew __**WHAT**__ his talent was?! His own bucking __**cutie mark?!**__ I just…I can't…that is just wrong!_

She has a hard time processing everything

_Maybe we were thinking of this amnesia all wrong. Maybe his own body just wanted some payback on him for ignoring it for so long!_

Twilight smirked, glad in a mix of anger and relief that his lazy and self-centered side was gone for good. She teleports the letter away and then returns to the rest of the group, in time to hear the end of Rainbow Dashs' story of the Wonderbolts.

_By Celestia, if he dares say that simple magic is too hard. I'm going to punch him!_

Twilight thinks to herself, still venting some frustration.

"…And ever since then the Wonderbolts have been known as the greatest, coolest, most skilled team of Pegasus flyers in all of Equestria!"

"Incredible" Blueblood said in an impressed tone "So they are like the air force for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?"

"In case of a war, yeah. They will instantly be placed as Generals and will be in charge of training, leading and kicking flanks to anyone that threatens Equestria!" Rainbow boasts in pride.

_I see, so they are like the Blue Angels._

Blueblood chuckles a little at the implication.

_Who knew Equestria had their own version of them_

"But if not, they mostly just perform flying acts and compete in races of speed and style," Spike adds.

"Gee that sounds like fun, no wonder you want to join them miss Rainbow!"

"Join them?" She asks in shock "Who said that I'm not already part of them?"

"Well, you seem to more admire them than talk as if you are one of them. Plus, if you're on active duty you usually have to stay where you are deployed, do you not?"

"Ok. One, that is not how the Wonderbolts work, and two, that is not how the army works either," Dash corrected. "Besides, other than being an awesome team, being part of the Wonderbolts is not so different than having a regular job, so of course, I have time off from time to time." She explained with a shrug.

"Oh" Blueblood comments in interest.

"Rainbow is right, New Blood." Twilight explains. "Being part of the Wonderbolts is not leaving everything behind to serve your country, it's about being part of a team and becoming a symbol for other Pegasi to aspire for. A pride in their race and the peak of body conditioning."

"You said it Twilight!" Dash replied with a prideful smile.

"How could I forget? You remind us of it constantly." Twilight said with a giggle, much to Dashs' annoyance.

"Well anyway, now you know the story, so you no longer have an excuse," She said, pointing at Blueblood.

"Are you actually scowling at me for having amnesia?" Blueblood asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a small glare from Twilight and Starlight.

Dash notices what she is doing and backed away "No, but you know, it was kind of hard to forget something so incredible and…look I'm sorry for shaking you like that. That wasn't cool," Dash said in shame and offered her hoof. "Are we good?"

Blueblood nodded and unconsciously grabs her hoof like he normally does with his hand. "We are, and sorry for shrinking you to the size of an ant." He apologised with some embarrassment.

"Ah, let's call it even, kid what exactly are you doing?" Dash asks, confused.

"What do you mean? I'm just shaking your hoof."

"No, you are grabbing my hoof and moving it up and down" Dash mentions.

"I am?" Blueblood asked, ending the gesture and looking at his hoof "That is not how you shake a hoof?"

"Geez, Twilight you weren't kidding, he really is completely blank," Dash said in worry, before smiling "But you don't have to worry, you have the best flier of Equestria on your side" Dash said as she brings him into a hug, using her left wing. "I will teach you everything that you would need to know and under my wing, you will be good as new in no time!"

"Thank you miss Rainbow," He said, nuzzling her side unconsciously until one of her feathers end up tickling his nose, which causes him to want to sneeze again.

The moment Rainbow Dash hears that she backed away as fast as she can and avoids the magic beam that hits a teapot and makes it start to sing opera."Excuse me," Blueblood said with a little smile and a blushing face.

"Oh yeah, but before we start your lessons on coolness, maybe it is best if Twilight teaches you some lessons on magic. Starting on how to control it!" Dash exclaims and Spike and Starlight nod at the suggestion.

"I would love that," Blueblood agrees in excitement "When can we begin?"

"What about now?" Starlight suggested "It's not too late now, and from what I'm seeing," She looked at the teapot once more "You could use some pointers."

"I wouldn't mind that," Blueblood said with a smile as they both leave the room

"Maybe give him some music lessons too, Starlight!" Spike called to them as they leave. "That teapot has a terrible voice." He complains, holding his ears only to receive a shot of tea on the face from the now pissed teapot.

"Everyone's a critic," Spike commented with a roll of his eyes as Twilight cancels the spell, holding her hoof to her muzzle while suppressing a laugh.

Later that evening

After spending the rest of the day learning the basic principles of magic and being introduced to the levitation spell, the prince is currently practicing his now mastered spell as Starlight kept a close watch on his progress. He is seated in front of a cube with various shapes cut out of it, hoovering slightly off the ground.

"That is it New Blood, just like that. Keep the cube steady, and slowly lower it into the box." Starlight instructs, as she watches how Blueblood manipulates the cube.

Closing an eye and putting more effort into his horn. The prince makes an effort to keep both objects as steady as possible and soon placed the cube in its respective space. The moment it happens. He gasps for air and let go of the box, which falls and is caught by Starlights' own magic, putting the box away.

"Very nice New Blood, seriously," Starlight praised, honestly impressed. "From just some minor lessons on the basics to our first practice, I have to say you can learn pretty fast."

"Maybe…I just…have a good teacher," Blueblood manages to say in between breaths as he looks back at her with a tired smile and cleaning some of the sweat on his forehead. "Ok, give me a second." He closes his eyes and inhales deeply before standing straight once more. "I'm fine now, what is the next lesson?"

Starlight chuckled and gave him a glass of water, "I think here is a good place to stop, you are clearly tired and it's pretty late anyway. But don't feel bad, for the first lesson we really made one big leap. And you remember what happens when you overused your horn?" She asked, giving him a slight pop quiz.

Blueblood sighed and looked down "You risk damaging your nervous system, or your flow of magic." He answers with some sadness.

Starlight nodded with a prideful smile and clap her hoofs "That is right New Blood. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve and explore your magic potential, but it's important to always remember your limits." She mentions with a smile.

"But miss Starlight…" He complains but she stops him.

"Tell you what, if you go to bed right now, tomorrow right after your regular lessons, I will take you to Twilights' own school, and I will give you a personal tour."

"Wait, Twilight has a school?" Blueblood shoots back his head toward her in surprise, making Starlight laugh.

"Yes she has. Unfortunately, it's a special kind of school, and they don't teach what you need at the moment. Don't worry I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you go for one small visit!" She mentions with a smile before approaching his ear.

"To tell you the truth, it's kind of boring sometimes and there isn't much for me to do. So we could try some more advanced spells there." She said in a whisper.

That catches Bluebloods' attention "Really?"

Starlight nods. "But only if you go to bed now New Blood, so what do you say? Do we have a deal?" She asks extending her hoof.

"Deal!" Blueblood answered almost immediately and once again unconsciously grabing her hoof like he did with Rainbow Dash, which causes Starlight to chuckle again.

"Don't worry, we will work on that too, for now off you go young colt." She ordered, pointing to the hallway.

"Ok, goodnight miss Starlight."

"Goodnight New Blood, and please just call me Starlight."

"Will do!" He calls from the hallway as he leaves, and once he is sure that nobody is looking, tapped his necklace twice and returned to normal.

_This is incredible! I can't believe it, I actually made magic! Real magic and my teacher said that I'm not bad at it either! This body is incredible! But most importantly…_

He goes to his saddlebag and from it, he pulls out the book to learn the alphabet and a blank notebook as well as a pencil.

…_I can use it to my advantage!_

Using his new spell, the prince opens the first two pages and, trying to keep the pen as steady as possible, wrote the English alphabet, and underneath each letters' place is its Equine equivalent.

_Just like the regular alphabet, it seems that this world has a total of 26 letters to memorize, and used the same system to write words, so if I only translate each word…_

Fighting the fatigue and trying to keep himself awake. Blueblood managed to complete a slightly sloppy alphabet and uses it to translate the letters, he wrote the word that he needed to memorize the most in order to start his search.

'Ghost'

Panting and with barely enough energy to remain standing. Blueblood gasped for air and dropped his pen on the ground, finishing his spell.

_It's no use…I really am at my limit now. I need to rest and then practice if I want to keep going. Otherwise, I will be returning a crippled body_

With a sigh of defeat, Blueblood saw his reflection on a nearby window

"I'm sorry prince, this is all I can do for now. Tomorrow I will advance even more, I promise"

He tells the reflection before putting everything back into his saddlebag, heading to bed and pulls the covers with his teeth before laying his head on the pillow. Sleep came almost instantly.

Back in Canterlot

Both Princesses looked into the sky patiently until a soldier marched into the room, catching their attention. "Your Highnesses," He announces, giving them a small bow to both sisters. "The spy has arrived with news about Sharp Shot."

"And?" Luna asks.

"It is as Clean Breeze said, your highness. They are plotting to locate the prince." He said, making the Princesses flinch and look away.

"Thank you, soldier, that will be all for now." Celestia dismissed.

"My Princesses." the guard gives them another bow before leaving.

"What are we going to do, dear sister?" Luna worries once the guard is gone. "As shady as this is. None of them are breaking the law, and any action we do against them will only confirm their suspicions" She added, starting to get anxious.

"Do not worry Lulu, I have an idea," Celestia answered before teleporting a blank scroll, a feather, and ink. "I really didn't want to resort to this, but it appears that Sharp Shot just tied our hooves. So in order to stop his advances, we will need the assistance of a friend."

"What do you have in mind?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The story that we created for the nobles was that Blueblood just went as an ambassador for a delicate mission, so all we have to do is make up the setting for one." Celestia explained as she starts to write a letter.

"And how are we going to do that?"

Celestia smirked and turns to Luna. "Easy, we simply request the help of our most recent ally, King Thorax," Celestia explained. "Unlike other rulers, he has been very receptive to our meetings, and is in a unique position to aid our deception.."

"So your plan is to ask King Thorax to let us borrow some of his Changelings, then choose a place for a 'meeting' and just leak the information to the nobles in order to stop their plotting?"

"Precisely." Celestia nodded.

"Hmmm, it could work," Luna said as she put her hoof under her chin. "But there are two things to consider. What could we offer King Thorax in exchange for this favor? And how do we explain how he just left without any notice?" Luna mentions.

"For the first one; they still feed on love, but in a more self-sustained way. So I'm sure offering them some additional love will be well received, if not I'm sure I can come with an agreement with Thorax, as for the second part though. That could be a bit more tricky, and we could use the help of the more experienced drones of his hive" Celestia confessed.

"The important thing is slow and then stop this plotting before something bad happens, and I'm sure this plan could be just what we need." Celestia said with determination before sending the letter using her magic. "I just hope Thorax gets the letter in time."

"His kingdom is a bit calmer than ours this day, I'm sure he is not very busy," Luna reassured her sister. "In the meantime, I will keep my eyes open in case more nobles start to hear the rumor of Blueblood, perhaps see if I can plant some of my stallions in their groups to create miscommunication and confusion on their plans, that could buy us more time."

"Good idea Luna, it's better to have more than one option." Celestia mentions before yawning.

"The hour grows late sister, go to bed. I can deal with the rest from here," Luna assured her with a smile. "I will tell you of any news from Thorax if they arrive before your morning."

"Thank you, Luna. Goodnight." Celestia gave her a small nuzzle before heading to bed.

"Goodnight sister." Luna replied and, once she is gone, she picks up the piece of the paper Dr. Caliber gave her two days prior. She had wanted to visit the dream realms of her nephew ever since that day, but with so many emotions happening so fast she knew that if she went now, the only thing she would encounter is a mess of dreams and memories mixed together so complex to unravel and extremely dangerous toward Blueblood if touched. Now when she thought that the night has come to try her first visit, a new problem has arrived causing her to put her efforts on hold once more.

With a sigh of defeat, Luna couldn't do much more other than to stare at her moon from a balcony.

_I'm sorry dear nephew, tonight I will not be able to ease your dreams either. Just please be patient._

Luna then extends her wings and takes into the sky, before transforming into a mist and headed towards the Upper Crust mansion.

* * *

Just so you know. That spell where Twilight used a rock and some leaves to make Spike, his smoking and she had difficulty to sustain it for more than one minute at first? Its the same spell. Blueblood made it when he was Twilight age if not younger, on his first try.

The reason she didn't knew, was because it was the time when Blueblood was more pure and shy so he didn't want his name on the book.


	13. The School Of Friendship

**The School Of Friendship**

Just as she had promised, as soon as his class ended, Starlight came to pick Blueblood and bring him with her to Twilight school so they could continue their magic lesson. Something that both of them were looking forward with excitement. One as a way out of boredom, and the other with the illusion of learning more magic

After a long walk, the two finally reach a very impressive school that looked like a castle, had Twilight cutie mark and image as a symbol on it and, has a waterfall spit in two acting like the entrance, connected by a road that rises from a river.

"Ok, I will say it, **that** is impressive" Blueblood mentions as he admires the whole structure.

"It's a school made and directed by one of the princesses of Equestria New Blood, of course, it needs to be imposing and fascinating. Otherwise, nobody will take an interest in enrolling in it" Starlight tells as they both walk toward the entrance.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Blueblood tells her with some insecurity in his voice.

Starlight chuckle at that "There is nothing to worry, I promise, you are going to love this place" She mentions as she opens the door and let him see the place.

_Ok I spoke too soon, this is basically Hogwarts_

Blueblood admires the place as he looks around in awe, and wonder until he stumbles with something fluff that snaps him back to reality. "Hey watch it!"

The prince heard someone said and when he looked up, he stare in surprise at the image of a blue griffin holding his head in pain.

"You are…you are…" Blueblood stare at him in surprise and happiness

"I'm sorry for that, Gallus" Starlight walk toward them "I was just showing him around the school.

"You are a cat-bird!" Blueblood finally manages to say in complete euphoria.

"Hey!" Gallus glared at him in anger before getting confused the moment Blueblood start to circle around him like he was the seventh wonder. "You are so big, and blue, you are like a big blue cat-bird, the tail, the feathers" He lifts one of his claw "My entire face fit on your claw!" He yells like a kid in Heart Warming Eve, awakening both his inner child and his already present love for griffons. All resulting in Gallus getting really uncomfortable.

"Ok, ok enough with that!" He tells backing away from him "What is the matter with you? Never seen a griffin before?"

"No" Blueblood answer almost immediately.

"What?" Gallus turn his head to the side, not expecting that answer at all.

"I'm sorry Gallus" Starlight stand at the side of Blueblood, "Please forgive him, almost all of his memories are gone, and the world around him is still pretty new"

"And it just got awesome!" Blueblood tells "Oh please, please, please tell me that there are more like you"

Gallup then relaxes and nod understanding what is going on "Oh you bet kid, also a friendly reminder: I'm 'Griffins' no 'Cat-Birds', 'Griffin', got it?"

"Got it, Mister Gallus"

"Hey! I'm not that old either" He tells in anger

"Ah sorry"

"Hey, Gallus are you coming or what?" Someone call and when the prince looks behind Gallus he gasps when he saw, a yak, an orange dragon, a celeste changeling and a light pink hippogriff.

Almost immediately Blueblood runs toward them "Wow, you are like Spike only bigger" He tells to the dragon before going to the yak "You are really big and your fur looks so fluffy can I pet it?"

Before she has time to answer, he goes to the hippogriff "You look like Princess Celestia, but with a beak and claws!"

He finally goes to the changeling "And you look like a giant ladybug or a butterfly" He exclaims before start to circle around making them all confused minus the hippogriff that just chuckles and look at him go with a smile.

"Oh, great Silver Stream did you brought one of your family members here?" The dragon tells rolling her eyes before looking at the hippogriff, who just chuckle and shake her head.

"Nope Smolder, but however he is, I like him already, he seems like fun," she tells as Blueblood look at her claws.

"Hmmm I'm not a ladybug," The Changeling tells him with some embarrassment

"You need to speak up Ocellus" Smolder tell her "Otherwise he is not going to hear you"

"You can pet Yona fur, Yona has best fur!" The yak yells in happiness

"Yep, kind of like that" Smolder tells pointing to Yona.

Blueblood was about to go pet Yona when Starlight catch him with her magic and levitated him away from the group, as she walked toward them with a blushing face "I'm really sorry for all that guys, I just didn't think on how his reaction would be at seeing other races that he has no any memory of"

The prince finally manages to calm down and realized what he was doing so he looks down in shame at the realization "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" He apologies "It's just. All of you look so awesome" He exclaims "I mean, two days ago I just though ponies and dragons were the only living being on the planet. I had no idea that there were even more races" He explains to them.

"What do you mean 'has no memory of them?'" Smolder ask confused "Didn't his parents even tell what a dragon is?"

"If they did I forgot" Blueblood explains, as Starlight puts him down

"Its a long story but the short version is that something bad happens to him and that is why he doesn't know a single thing. That is why he got so surprised just a moment ago"

"Oh, so that explains why was he acting like Silver Stream" Smolder nod "He is just like a fish out of the water as well"

"I'm really sorry for getting carried away," Blueblood tells in shame.

"Ah don't sweat it, kid," Smolder tells "I know how awesome a dragon is," She tells in pride "Name is Smolder by the way"

Yona then push him away to be in front of Blueblood "Yona is best yak, Yona happy to meet you" she tells giving him a strong hug. Her fur tickling his nose, which causes Starlight to gasp in fear and teleport him next to her to cover his mouth before he sneezes.

"Thank you," Blueblood tells her as the hippogriff fly toward him "Hi, my name is Silver Stream, I'm so happy to meet you, and don't feel bad, I completely understand, I get excited too all the time, in fact, do you want to see something incredible?" She was about to touch her necklace until Gallus stop her "Not now Silver, I think the kid had enough emotions for one day"

"Ok," She tells with a smile

"Hi my name is Ocellus, and I'm a changeling" The final member introduce herself "And would you not call me a ladybug? I'm not an insect"

"Oh sorry, sorry I didn't mean to offend you"

"N-No, its ok, I understand now, you didn't know and this insect wings could make anyone gets confused," She tells with a smile "I can change them if you want"

"You can do that?"

She nodded with a smile and closes her eyes for a moment before a bell is heard.

"And that bell means the class is about to begin" Gallus mentions "We better hurry and go see Sandbar" He tell as they all start to leave "You coming kid?" He tells looking back

"Oh no sorry, I'm just here to visit my cousin school, but it was very nice to meet you all," He tells wave at them goodbye.

"Well ok, have fun then, look for us if you stay for recess" Smolder tell as they all wave goodbye to Blueblood and left

"Glad to see you making new friends," Starlight tells with a smile "Although you should try to contain yourself a little on the future" She gives him an small advice.

"I'm really sorry, but it was just so incredible seeing some many cool races all at once, I just couldn't stop myself to get a bit carried away," He tells with a blushing face, making her chuckle

"Its ok, considering your situation it's completely understandable" She then guides him toward another hallway "It will be a while before their lessons end, what do you say if you and I get to learn some more magic in the meantime?"

"Advance magic too?" He asks in expectation

"Of course, a promise is a promise, right?"

"Yay!" Blueblood exclaim in happiness as they headed to Starlight office

Using some incense to calm the mind, both the prince and Starlight were sitting in front of each other with their eye close and their horn shining.

"Can you hear me New Blood?" Starlight asks but instead of using her mouth she was instead projecting her voice throw her horn in a form of telepathy, resulting on it coming up with an echo.

"…yes" Blueblood manages to say in the same fashion as a smile start to form on his face.

"Your connection is breaking, focus New Blood."

"Sorry" Blueblood expression return to normal.

"Now, this is the final part of the spell New Blood while maintaining your mind clear I want you to picture yourself expanding until you detect me"

"Expanding?"

"You hear me, in this state your magic aura is borrowing your five senses of your body to act as a beacon. The astral perception spell allows the user to perceive everything around its area of magic as it was its own body. So if you remain calm, the manipulation of say field can be extended easily"

"What is the radium this spell reach Starlight?"

"It depends on the magic pool of the user as well as how much he or she can contain perceiving at the same time. For now, it's best if you focus on just one. Be trap feeling too many sensations could lead to some very disturbing experiences, so please do not go overboard"

"Understood"

"Now, extend your aura" Starlight commands once again and Blueblood do so, his mind soon mapping her room as he grows his magic field like a balloon, leaving a clear black and white image on his head until he felt a presence, that he later starts to visualised as a pink dot in front of him.

"I think I found you Starlight"

"You did it New Blood. I can feel your magic reaching me" The dot beat and move to match her voice.

"Now exhale and relax"

The prince complies and soon the spell ends it. He opens his eyes to see a very happy and proud Starlight looking at him "How did I do Starlight"

"You were incredible New Blood you just earned yourself a cookie"

"Really?" He asks happily as he starts to stand up only to wobble and requires assistance from his teacher.

"Really, I was intending to just give you a spell to help with your writing lessons and start you on with the more advance spell but each thing I teach you, you absorb it like earth drinks water," She tells extremely happy with yourself.

"Keep this up and I might teach you how to levitated yourself," She tells him by giving him a playful shove to his side "Wait, that is something I can do?"

"Oh don't go ahead of yourself yet mister, that is an extremely advanced spell to learn, and we are still going throw the basics. So, for now, let's play safe and go with simpler stuff, ok? Trust me it's for your own good"

"Ok Starlight," Blueblood tells slightly disappointed but ultimately deciding to comply and listen to her warnings.

Putting the incense away Starlight check on the clock and see that it's not too late yet "I think there are some lessons left before the ends, do you want to go see some lessons?" Starlight ask the prince

"Sure," He tells interest as he follows her out of the room and starts exploring some the school, with their first stop being Fluttershy class, in which the windows were cover and there was no light so she can teach how to approach nocturnal animals.

"…Now for one common nocturnal friend I want you all to meet my friends the bats" She tells opening a cage she let go of a group of bats that fly around the room scaring the students for a second

"Do not be afraid kids, the bats are a very misunderstood creature that like a bird, can be approach and pet if proven that they can trust you," She tells lifting some fruits for the bats as baits, their students doing the same and interacting with the bats. One of which goes and say hi to Blueblood which catches Fluttershy attention "Oh hi New Blood. What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" She asks with some worry

"I'm just showing him around" Starlight explains which relax Fluttershy

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that" She then looks at him petting the bat as its chips in content making Fluttershy giggle, "Miss bat said that she likes how you pet behind her ear" She translates to Blueblood.

"I'm glad to hear that," He tells with a smile and then suddenly an idea cross his mind "Isn't this one lovely night my ladies? As the moon bathes us all in her glorious light, the children of the night awaken and greet us with their lovely songs" He tells in a solemn voice and a raised head, confusing both mares

"Ah, New Blood, why are you talking like Dracolt?" Fluttershy asks in confusion when suddenly she heard some wolfs howling in the distant that catch her off guard and make her look at the window before looking back at Blueblood, he simple chucking at the perfect timing on that howl.

Unfortunately due to the time, after leaving Fluttershy there weren't too many options to go visit since all the other lessons were already over, but fortunately Rainbow Dash's was still going, and what is more, all five friends the prince made were there too, playing some teamwork game exercises.

"Its too bad that all the other lessons were already over," Blueblood tells in disappointment

"Don't be sad, we can always come back tomorrow and see them." Starlight tells as they reach the gym "Besides, I think you are going to like this"

When they both enter they saw a very spacious gym with big rings hanging from the ceiling big enough for a pegasus to pass throw as well as all the regular equipment expected to be on one. All the students in there were currently playing tag, using a ball to catch who would be the next one it, and overall having fun.

_Wow, this must be where they play their equivalent of quidditch_

Blueblood tells taking a couple step away from Starlight to admire the place, while Dash land next to her to greet them.

"You are mine now Yona," Smolder tells as she throws the ball at her, while Yona tries her best to escape

"Yona best runner, Yona will escape!" She runs as fast as she can but end up tripping on her own hair and go into collision with Blueblood, something that catches Gallus attention.

"Look out!" He yells at Blueblood in alarm, but it was too late, Yona was practically hovering over him, at this point and escape was impossible. The prince fear for his life and in that moment his body act out of pure instinct and just jump backward and performed a triple barrel wheel into the air, finally landing on his hoofs with the precision of a cat away from Yona who lands in the ground as the ball hit her head, which surprises everyone including the prince.

_How did I do that? It was almost like that time_

He stares at his hoof and starts to remember all those lessons from hell his dad force to do, growing up in an attempt to 'purge' the love he had for video games, comics, and superheroes. He glared at the memory of all the hours upon hours of learning new things. Parkour, boxing, martial arts, gymnastic. Everything his dad could think of, he was put in, on what was essentially a training from hell, in which he couldn't escape unless had a 'decent' domain on each one

_My body…still remembers? But that impossible, I'm a quadruped now, even if I recall a lot of those lessons performing them in a body that isn't mine, especially another species would be impossible…right?_

"That was incredible!" Silver Stream said suddenly appearing in front of him "Yona was like aww! and you were like nooo! and then your body just made, like swoosh and then you land right there! How did you make all those spins without any wings" She asked in wonder

"I…I don't know, I just react," Blueblood tells her honestly.

"Well that was pretty impressive," Smolder tells with a smirk as she goes to him as well "And here I thought doing that type of cool stuff were a pegasus thing and unicorns were more into using your horns to almost everything"

"Yona is sorry, for almost flatten you," Yona tells with shame as she approaches the prince "Its ok Yona it was just an accident, and it was my fault too, I shouldn't have walk toward you," He tells us he nuzzles her side.

"I forgive you"

"Yona happy now!" She tells with a smile

"You just used the apology to have an excuse to pet her fur, didn't you?" Gallus tell pointing at Blueblood

"I can do both things," Blueblood tells with a smile making everyone chuckle.

"Yona fur, best yak fur!"

Meanwhile, not too far from them Dash and Starlight look how all that unravel "Ja! Am I cool or what? Just be near me and that colt is already Mr. popular" Dash tells in pride.

"Dash, don't you saw that jump?" Starlight asks in surprise.

"What? That awesome backflip?"

"Exactly that **perfectly** executed triple backflip" Starlight repeat looking at her "How is it possible for a colt that previous day couldn't walk, manages to do such an advanced move?"

"Who cares, maybe the kid is just a natural" Rainbow just shrug

"No, doing one spin would be, been natural, doing tree is being trained. The only way his body could do such a move involuntary is having body memory and the only way for it to happen is for it to had being train before"

"Geez Starlight, you have been reading too many of Spike comic books, it's starting to affect that egg head of yours. Let the kid have his fun, and if that means being awesome and have some incredible moves, then what is the problem?" Dash mentions approaching the group as well. Starlight stays behind looking at Blueblood with intrigue.

_How did you do that, New Blood?_

* * *

That will be all, for now, folks, as soon as the following chapters are complete I will keep posting.

Thank you for all your support


	14. Secret Agenda

**Secret Agenda**

Once school was over, and Starlight and Blueblood returned to the castle, he told Twilight how things went and how much fun he had at school.

"I'm so glad that you enjoy your visit," Twilight tells him with a smile

"Yeah, it was great, which makes me wonder, why didn't you let me go there and instead send me to Miss Cheerilee School? Are you perhaps ashamed of me?" Blueblood asks in wonder.

"What? No! Of course not, it's just…" She sighs, "Look New Blood, I understand what you are saying but unfortunately, my school is not what you needed at the moment. My friends and I teach about friendship exclusively, and you needed more than that. That is why it was necessary for you to go to Miss Cheerilee School. She can teach you subjects I just couldn't" Twilight explained.

"Yeah, I mean sure Twilight school looks and is awesome but if you don't know how to write and read, you would have had a hard time once you were done" Spike explain

"I see"

"Hey cheer up New Blood." Starlight tells him "You still can go visit, remember? There is still a lot of things I can teach you and, like today we can go visit some other lessons" She offers with help him cheer up again

"You think so?"

"I know so, today we might have gone a bit carried away, but tomorrow I'm sure we can do a lot more"

"That will be great, and I would love to hang out more with Gallus and the others," Blueblood said with a smile

"But only if you don't get in the way of their own activities" Twilight warns him

"Oh relax Twilight, I'm sure everything will be fine" Spike tells her.

Soon they hear a bell ring and when they look up they see a clock in the wall announcing midnight "Oh pony feathers, is already this late!" Twilight tells in alarm

"Looks like that story of yours really made time fly away," Spike tells with a chuckle.

"We better all go to bed now, we all have work to do tomorrow morning and we wouldn't want to be sleepy" Twilight mentions as she heads to the hallway.

"I will not discuss against a nice good night sleep" Spike mentions as he follows her.

Blueblood was about to do the same when Starlight stop him "New Blood please wait"

"Yes?"

She sighs and approaches him "Listen, I'm not going to probe into your life because I promise Twilight I will not do it," She tells in sadness and makes his body tense.

"But I will not be doing my job as a counselor if I do not tell you at least this. Whatever you are passing throw, you can trust in us" She tells with an understanding smile "I know this could be scary, and you are probably thinking that its best to keep what is in your head to yourself, but I'm telling you. You will feel better if you let go of whatever you are holding on your chest"

"A-Ah I don't know what you are saying Starlight" Blueblood tells with some nervous in his voice as her smile disappear and just sigh.

"Fair enough, I will not press the issue," She tells him as she starts to leave "Just know, it will keep getting worse the more you keep quiet" She warns him.

He just looks down in shame "Really I'm ok, there is nothing to talk about"

Starlight doesn't believe him for an instant but keeps her word and nodded "Then I will see you tomorrow, goodnight New Blood."

"Goodnight Starlight," He tells not daring her leaves, and just touch his necklace once he is sure she is gone based on her hoof steps getting echoing less and less. "I'm sorry" He whispers to himself and cleans a single tear on his eyes "But if you knew the truth, you will just scream and run from me" He mentions before heading to the kitchen.

_No more sidetracking_

He starts to inspect the cabins until he finds just what he was looking for and take out a roll of wrapping plastic, a nearly empty cereal box.

_Its time to work_

Taking a knife, and grabbing a masking tape on the library, the prince returns to his room and lock the door before getting to work.

After eating the content on the cereal he then proceeds to cut the front and back of the box and make a hole in both, then he places a piece of the plastic in-between the two pieces and joins them all with the tape. Creating a transparent frame for him to use.

Once that was done he open the book where he had written the alphabets the previous night and start to concentrate on the other spell Starlight teach him, remembering her lesson.

_"If you focus, your magic can be tangible energy for a bit, if you visualize what you are writing in front of you, letters can easily appear. By holding say letters and placing them on a surface they can remain in there, hidden to the naked eye until you place a little magic on them again, and will show. Like secret messages"_

As his horn glow, the letter starts to float and he then translated them into the frame making it shine brightly for a second before returning to normal. Panting, the prince took the frame and put it in front the word 'ghost' in his notebook. Once reflected the frame show the word but this time on English, making the prince smirk and chuckle of his new invention.

_Equestria, meet your equivalent of google translate_

Satisfice with his work, and once he makes sure that there was no one on the hallway, the prince took his pencil and notebook and made his way to the library once more. Turning on the lights and going straight to the G section, inspecting the bookshelf with his new invention, which allows him to see the titles in perfect English

_Ok let's see: Ghost Town, Ghost Writer, Ghost Stories, History and Origins of Ghost, Ghost Projecting Spells, Ghostly Magic Residual, Ghost Food?_

He raises an eyebrow at the last one

_Must be a diet thing, doesn't matter let's continue_

He keeps scanning until he finds the books he was looking for

_Classification and habitats of Ghost, Detection of the paranormal, How to exorcism and complete eradicated a ghost_

The last book makes the prince flinch and gulp. It was like he was seeing the guillotine specially made for him, face to face, but stealing his nerves he took the book.  
As much as it scares him, he knew that said book would be used against him if he was discovered, and more importantly. There was a chance that it could hold the clue into how to get out of the possession without killing him.

With determination, he took the dreadful book as well as the classification one, before continue exploring the bookshelf.

_Preventing possession? Kind of late for that one; Repealing the undead? Oh boy, I hope I was the only one that came here; hey what is this?_

Blueblood raises an eyebrow at one book that caught him off guard as he looks at the title.

_Times and adventures of my beloved ghost?_

He keeps inspecting the book not really understanding its meaning

_A pony became friends with a ghost? If so maybe there is still a chance for me._

Blueblood smiles and open the book at some random page intrigue into what was the story behind the book.

…_**Mary Ann took a shaky step into mansion once more as she had done too many times in the past and witch each step gain more determination as she approaches the chambers of her beloved. In there he saw him standing in the middle of the room admiring the full moon as it light bath him on the spotlight for the world to see, to the sound of his door open, he looks back and their eyes meet, she was scared and he was nervous, both of them knew they were worlds apart, yet their passion was impossible to ignore. With determination, The Baron took a step forward and caress her cheek, his hoof was cold yet comfortable. Mary Ann could feel her heart race as he starts to move his hoof lower and lower until his ghostly hoof grab and get a firm grip of her…WOW!**_

Immediately Blueblood closes the book with a face as red as a tomato with steam escaping his face. He tries his best to ignore what he just read.

_How did, THIS end up here?! Twilight, kids could have reached this book!_

Blueblood stare at the book in alarm before looking at a picture of Twilight in a coffee table, before glaring at it

"If I wasn't in a secret mission right now, you and I would be having a serious talk right now" He whispered to the portrait as he put the infamous book away and continue his work, yet unfortunately there wasn't any other book that could help him with what he needed, so he took the two that were his best bet and went to a podium to start reading. Starting with the one about classifications.

_**Ghost. Also, know as specter are the undead stubborn beings that refused to move on into the afterlife. Low-level unholy creatures whose only purpose is spread misery and eat the flesh of who they possess…**_

_Wait, WHAT?!_

Blueblood look at his body in alarm

_Am I…eating this pony. Oh god, I need to get out of him before its too late!_

He resumes his work

_**Their classification can be divided into ten levels, with one being the weakest and easy to repeal while a level ten being the most dangerous there is, in which case the elements of harmony must be used to eradicated immediately**_

He continues to pass throw pages

_Level one, the shakers: No intelligence whatsoever, and like the name imply only able to shake small objects like plates and glasses. Dangers its next to none and are mostly annoying. Used salt to burn them…_

Blueblood shiver at the idea of him burning alive a second time

_**Lever two, the trickster or clown ghost: commonly known as troll ghost. Know for always laugh in a low voice and make objects float and change places, it's unknown if they are conscious of what they are doing or like the shaker just do things out if instinct, but often times their actions can be view as some sort of prank. Use salt to burn them… Level three, the hollows: always screaming or whipping. Mostly found in cemeteries, the last remain emotion of a sorrowing soul that fears death. It's uncommon for them to attack ponies unless their resting places its disturb, in which case, they will hunt the responsible one relentless. DO NOT engage with anger or mock them. Their screech can result deadly and in the worse case, you would turn it into a lever four ghost. Don't use salt. Make a pray and light a candle for it to follow and burn like a mop to the flame. **_

_Well…so much for being kind to them _

He stops himself with some pity on how they solve the problem by immediately seeking to destroy them as he starts to move the pages more and more rapidly.

_**Level four, raging ghost: The result of fools messing with the paranormal or a soldier dying in a battle full of regrets. Warning, this ghost is more intelligent and know how to fight. They can possess hollow armor and multiple weapons at the time. They will attack, anyone that gets near their territory, often times found in abandon castle that was the target of a battle or war. Unlike the others, this ghost retains their original bodies at the times of their death and can even speak some words. Often time, some sort of insult or a swear. Trick them into walking into a circle of salt to capture them and then strike them down with a sword bath in dawn water* (see page 96) to eliminated…level five, the druid ghost…can possess animals evil intents when alive…kill with dawn weapon…level six, the baron…can turn solid for periods of time, don't look them in the eyes, because it can hypnotised…kill with dawn weapon…level seven, element ghost…possess one of the four elements…travel long distance…force him into a dawn land to eliminate…level eight, nightmare ghost…feed on fear…trap victims in dungeons and take the form of their worse nightmare, only advice, escape the dungeon by spraying dawn water into the walls then destroy the structure…level nine copy cat…can shapeshift into tangible objects and possess whoever touches it…feed on their live energy…destroy their current object to destroy…level ten **_

Blueblood had to stop himself and re-read what he just saw in alarm

…_**the possessed: Maximum level of danger. The Unholy union of demons and nightmares. This monster can possess any living being without a problem, and destroy both the victim and his or her loved ones slowly until there is nothing but dust, extremely intelligent and capable of a fool even a family member. Realy hard to destroy, any previous methods of destructions can result inefficient on them, since they can adapt and knows how to avoid the dangers quickly. Dawn weapons do not work because it used the victim's body…if encounter, DO NOT let it know you discover its identity and contact the princess as fast as you can…the elements are the only thing that can destroy it without harming the host**_

The prince has to take a step away and kneel holding his head in fear

_I'm a level ten, I'm the most dangerous of them all. Am I…am I feeding of everyone I meet? Oh dear god the princesses, those children, Starlight! What have I been doing to them?_

He thinks with alarm and tears before shaking his head

_No! I refused to be like that, I will not become a parasite. I rather just jump into a barrel of salt before letting anyone else suffers. This book is probably old, it said to contact the princess for the elements, so maybe it was written before Nightmare Moon_

Convincing himself he puts the book away and opens the other one hoping to find more clues.

_**There are four effective methods to exorcise a ghost from a pony or an object. With the most efficient one, been the elements of harmony which would burn the monster immediately **_

_Not going to happen_

_**The second method it's using the soul divider spell* (page 56). Side note, if the caster has the ghost inside, it can't be performed on itself, since the specter immediately will cancel in self-defense, must be used by a second unicorn.**_

_So I need a unicorn I can trust to cast it, ok let's see how it goes?_

Blueblood goes to the page and starts to see the details of the incantation right until the point where it said that if successful the ghost will be exposed to the elements and will burn as result of the spell.

_So the spell not only will yank me out, it will also burn me out. No thanks_

_**The third method would be a dream duel, in which using the assist of Princess Luna, or some herbal teas the victim could confront the ghost in his or her dreams and destroy it from there. **_

Blueblood stops and looks at his reflection on a nearby window "Ok I know you are probably angry at me right now, but I'm trying to make things right, no need to fight, ok? Look there is still the fourth option. Let's see what it said" He whispers before resuming to read.

_**The fourth and final option is a special potion* (page 87) that can expel the specter. Warning, once out, there is a window of time before the ghost goes back into its host or possess another, so you must…**_

_That is it!_

Blueblood cheer as he goes to the needed page and using his notebook, write down all the ingredients on it.

_Finally a silver line, I can use this to get out of your body, and once out I will just have to find a way to possess another thing and we will both be free Blueblood. Just hang in there, we almost have a solution_

"Twilight?"

The voice of Spike alert Blueblood as he closes the book and just makes a mad dash behind a sofa in time for Spike to enter the room. In his scared the prince just realized now that he not only left the book in the podium but also keep the lights own, causing him to start to sweat. As the dragon scratch the sleep on his eyes he looks around confused, looking for the princess "Are you here?"

_Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't see me_

The prince chant on his head begging for a miracle as he heard the steps of the dragon approaching.

"I swear I heard somepony writing," Spike tells as he looks around with a yawn until eventually, he found the book on the podium, but instead of inspecting him, the prince only heard him sigh and when peeking from his hiding place, saw the dragon shaking his head. "She is sleep learning again," He tells to himself in annoyance before putting the book back into the bookshelf and then leaves, turning off the lights.

"Signing in relief the prince holds his chest trying to calm his poor heart and take depth breaths. The moment he manages to relax, he stands up again and looks at the entrance where Spike left

_Ok that was close_

With a yawn, the prince starts to have a hard time keeping himself awake and had to shake his head so not to collapse.

_Damn it, I have used too many spells for far too long, I'm at my limit_

He had to shake his head once more before heading to his room. Once there he goes and hides his notebook and invention in his saddlebag before going to bed with a satisfied smile on his face.

_Now I know how to solve the problem_


	15. Luna, The Guardian Night Princess

**Luna, The Guardian Night Princess**

As the sounds of keyboards are heard on the distance, the prince wakes up, to find himself on his human body typing on a computer, and soon realized that he is on the cubicle of an office. Confused, Blueblood stops what he is doing and try to leave but just when he took two steps, something yanked on his left arm, and when he looked down he saw a white thick thread tied to it, which pulls him back to his desk and forces him to sit down.

"And where do you think you are going?" The voice of his father boom on the distance, distorted and with an echo.

"I-I wanted to leave."

"Leave? Oh no, you can't leave now." More strings appear and tied the prince's body forcing him to work once more. "There is still much work to be done. Too much unfinished business!" The room erupted into fire, as everything around him starts to shake.

"You forgot? You need to take responsibility for your actions." The computer, at that moment, turns into a sleeping Blueblood trapped in a cage whose colors have faded, and the human turns into a puppet version of the prince. "N-No!"

"Yes!" The prince in the cage caught itself on fire, waking the other pony who looks around in terror before looking at him and rushing to the metal bars begging for help. Blueblood tries to reach him but the streams prevented him from getting close enough, and he can only see how the pony screams as the flames claim him and turn him to ashes, right in front of him.

He can't even grab the ashes since the streams force him to start walking in the palm of someone's hand. "You really did it this time, son. You committed a first-degree regicide."

"No."

"The power of a brand new world is now at your grasp!"

"No!"

"And you take an innocent life! All in one sweep." The voice starts to laugh, and from the shadows a rickety person on fire, emerges wearing the mask of theatre comedy, staring directly at him. "That's my son."

"No, I'm not like you, I'm not!"

"Oh, but you are son. You're a monster, just like your old man. A wolf who can only live to eat and hunt! That's how I raised you, and that's all you'll ever be!" He tells with malevolent laughter before getting serious all of a sudden. "Now, stop with your whining, and start working on what needs to be done. You had a nice start earning their trust, yes, but we both know that I didn't raise a loser, it's time to climb the ladder once more, son. What do you say we start by taking out those that outrank you?"

The man tells as he drops a knife in front of the prince and then, two spotlights appear in front of him showing the princesses of the night and the day.

"Make me proud son." The man whispers as the streams force his body once more and make him approach them both, while lifting the knife into the air.

"Come on, do it! It not like you haven't done it before, so just go ahead, it's in your blood. I _know_ you want to do it!" The man commands him as his hoof begins to shake.

"Never!" Bringing down the knife he injures his own hoof and in the process breaks the strands on him. As he nurses the injury he just glares at his dad. "I will NEVER hurt them, even if they loved me just because I look like somebody else, they treat me like a real family, 'Father'. So hear this, I will never hurt them! You hear me!? NEVER!"

"You hypocrite coward bastard!" The man slaps him before more streams recapture him and start to tighten to the point that they start to choke him, as well as worsen his injury. The hand disappears and he is left hanging literally by a single thread. "Power beyond your imagination, served to you on a silver plate...and you back away? I thought I raised you better than that, looks like I was just wasting my time. A disappointment even beyond the grave. You are now, always, and forever will be just that, just one disappointment after another." The man tells as he starts to guide the prince into an open flame. "Looks like you still need to be disciplined."

The prince could only scream in terror and guilt as he starts to feel the flame licking his back.

"Enough!" A beam of light pierces the darkness destroying the hand of the man and dropping the prince onto the floor. Holding his stump, the man roars like a beast and looks up to see the moon rising in the sky, and from it, the silhouette of an alicorn flying towards them.

"Still resisting boy? Can't you see? No worthless horse can save you!" The man tells as he goes and tries to grab the pony, only for his other hand to burn out, and then be pierced by Luna who just catapults herself toward his face like an arrow, landing in front of Blueblood. "Remember this, vile nightmare, I'm not a whorse. My name is Princess Luna, and as long as I'm here you will not touch a single hair of my nephew." She warned him glaring at the piece of mask that crashes in front of them as Luna take a step back and bring Blueblood into a hug using one of her wings, in a defensive position.

The mask just laughs and smirk as the floor turns to water and he starts to sink. "You are deluding yourself boy. You will never escape me. I own…" Before he could continue Luna blasts him destroy what was left of the nightmare and ending the dream, leaving both alone in a spotlight surrounded by darkness.

Lifting her wing, the princess found his nephew trembling in the ground, curl into a ball. She kneels and begins to nuzzle his back. "Shh, it's ok my nephew. It's all ok. I'm here now" Luna tries to console him but instead of doing so, she only seems to make him worse.

"No it's not." Blueblood lifts his head a little. "I took advantage of you." He tells in shame, confusing the princess.

"What?" Luna asks confused.

"~Somebody is not being honest~" The voice of the man echoes in a sing-song manner before a string attaches itself to his back, making him flinch in terror, as he looks back at it and then at Luna.

"Princess…I'm sorry." Blueblood manages to say before being violently yanked toward the darkness, as Luna gives chase in alarm. "Blue blood!

As she flies she see puppets of her, the main six, starlight and even her sister, her niece and herself, being play at by the nightmare who laughs as he speaks.

"Oh, you were magnificent boy, playing with their emotions acting as the scared little puppy, **I have amnesia… I'm scared…let's befriend them…my name is Blueblood…I love you aunty**" The man just rips apart each puppet as fire appears everywhere. "Oh god, was that hilarious, each and every single one of those ponies just took the bait, hook, line, and sinker"

Finally, the man appears holding Blueblood, now being eight foot tall. "Oh look it's, your dear aunty playing hero." He shakes Blueblood in his hand mocking her. "Now, what were you saying about protecting him?"

In rage, Luna blast his face claiming his eyes in the process. That only makes him angry "Why you little…" He breathes fire at her but she just keeps dodging and using a spell to shrink him, and force him to let go of Blueblood who just backs away.

Before he could react, Luna tackles him and he ends up on the ground with Luna's hoof pressing against his face. "Release my nephew at once!"

The figure just laughs and looks back at her "Your nephew? Do you even know who he is?"

"Your tricks are **not** going to work against me," She says, pressing even harder on him.

"What tricks?" He keeps on smirking as Blueblood starts to back away from both of them."Go ahead boy, tell her."

The prince tenses and tries to escape but finds his foot grabbed by the nightmare.

"I gave you an order boy, now say it!"

"Blueblood what is wrong?" Luna asks confused by his actions.

"I'm trying to fix it, I swear." Blueblood tells holding his head in his hooves.

"Nephew there is nothing to fix." Luna tries to calm him down, but it seems like it wasn't any use, as he just stays in the same position.

"Oh that's rich, just like a coward back then, he doesn't even want to stand up for himself. That's what he is, just a coward too afraid to speak his mind." The nightmare gets stronger and bigger, managing to grab Luna.

"And you, little horse, are starting to get on my nerves. This is father-son, bonding time, right now." He presses his sharp thumb against the princess' neck. "And you are butting in, and that is something I really….really hate."

"Nephew…please I can't fight this nightmare alone, your sorrow…it's feeding him" Luna tells in alarm looking at him trying to reach him. "Please fight it, don't give in to your fears."

The nightmare just keeps laughing. "Don't you see, horse? I'm not the nightmare here, you are. You represent the sorrow and guilt that he's feeling right now. I'm just protecting him. You lost and now you're done."

Blueblood looks at the images in alarm. He wants to help, but thousands of hands are grabbing him preventing him from moving as he just looks at everything unfold. Luna sees this and understands what she needs to do

"…I forgive you!" Luna yells catching Blueblood and the nightmare's attention. As she smiles at him, the hands around him, grabbing him, begin to disappear "No matter what you're afraid of saying, I forgive you, my dear nephew! I will always forgive you."

"Hmph curious final words" The nightmare goes in for the kill but, it's surprised when the prince uses his magic to stop him. "What?!"

"I will not let you do it!" He tells with tears in his eyes .

"You little brat, you think she'll really forgive you? You really think she will keep looking at you with these same eyes? If you do, you will never have any rest, they'll hunt you down like a dog, until you burn."

"We will never do that!" Luna yells at him.

The nightmare begins to get scared, as the image of Blueblood starts to morph in blue light and he begins to get bigger. "Boy, think about what you're doing. We both know what will happen after this! You will die!"

The images changes to that of the silhouette of a man, that grabs the nightmare's hand. The silhouette glares at his face. "I do not care." The prince punches the nightmare's face in, bringing it down before getting on top of it.

"I am not like you." He punches it again.

"Living with you was hell." And again.

"I will not let you control me anymore." The monster start to break apart, like he was made of glass, as the fire surrounding them starts to disappear and both of them start to shrink, yet his punches do not stop.

"I have a voice, I'm alive, and I have the right to live just like anyone else!"

The man tried to grab his other arm. "You are making a mistake, you will not last out there in this world."

Blueblood gives him one final punch that breaks him into million pieces. "You need meeeeee…" The nightmare screams before disappearing into a cloud of smoke, leaving the prince kneeling and sniffing on the ground.

"Nephew?" Luna look at this image of the prince confused.

"I'm really sorry for not telling you. I just didn't want to die." The man tells in shame, as he stands up and looks back at her. "I suppose there's no point in denying it anymore." He extends his arms. "This is how I really look."

The princess just stay quiet as she starts to approach him.

"I-I know you must be full of questions, I don't really get what's happening either. But what I know is that I took control of your nephew's body."

Luna just keeps advancing in silence.

"I swear! I'm working on a way to get out, I-I just don't want to die again that's all. I know, that I must look like a monster to you right now, but I'm not going to hurt your subjects, I just want to be free, so just please, give me a little time."

She keeps advancing.

"Princess, just say something! Yell at me, get mad, or something…anything, just don't keep staring at me like…" She just touches his cheek with her hoof.

"You will never be a monster to me." She finally tells with a smile as she hugs him. "Oh my dear nephew, no wonder you were so scared to talk."

"I-I don't get it. Aren't you mad?"

"Like I said, you'll never be a monster to me, just like you, I too had another face that I don't like others to see, and every night I fear that it has a mentality of its own. Please, dear nephew, just let me in, whatever is in your mind I will hear it with an open mind, in fact…" Luna closes her eyes and her body also start to glow and shapeshift until she resembles a human body as well, with the difference that instead of a silhouette, she looked like a human version of herself, wearing a toga, still having her wings and horn, and having her regalia, making her look like some kind of greek goddess. "There, now we are the same, I hope this will help you feel more comfortable."

Feeling like the world was lifted from his shoulders, the prince couldn't contain his cries as he hugs her back and they both kneel.

"That's it, nephew just let it all out." Luna tells him as she whispers a lullaby. Once calm, Luna let him go and cleaned his eyes.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah…thanks."

"Anytime nephew." Luna tells with a smile before looking around. "This place looks a bit gloomy, why don't we go into a happy memory?"

"A happy memory?" The prince asks confused.

"Don't you have a memento of your life, in which you felt happy? Something that you remember that made you feel calm and secure? If you do, why don't you try to visualize it?"

The prince starts to think until something came to his mind, and soon, they both found themselves in the attic of some expensive home. In a corner, there was a television with a small kid playing with it, surrounded by various video games.

"When I was growing up, I remember coming here, to play often." The prince tells with a smile. "No matter how hard my father looked, he couldn't find me. This was my safe haven for years."

He looks back at her confused. "Is this really, not at all weird to you?"

She just shakes her head and sits on a nearby box. "Not in the slightest. I told you, I'm going to listen with an open mind. So, why don't you tell me your story?"

The prince nods and takes a seat next to hear as he starts to recapitulate all of his life. Unknown to him, each memory he was re-telling served to clean the fog from his head and restore his mind. The princess, slightly taken aback by his story, slowly starts to piece together what was happening.

"…Then the building just collapse on top of me, and the next thing I remember, I was already in that room."

"My nephew's room?"

"Correct." The prince finish his story and just sighs. "And that's why I was afraid to tell you, I just feared that you'd eradicate me"

"Oh Blueblood, why would we do that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Blueblood look at her confused "Princess Luna, I'm a ghost possessing your nephew, and even though he was a bad pony he deserves to live. I had no right to take his place."

"All of Equestria would beg you different." Luna whispers mostly to herself with a roll of her eyes in annoyance, remembering how Blueblood used to be.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing, it doesn't matter." She looks back at him with a smile. "And it's very kind of you, wanting to do the noble thing, although I think you are approaching this from the wrong direction." She tells as she stands up and cleans herself off a little.

"What do you mean?" Blueblood asks confused.

"I don't believe that you're a ghost dear nephew." She tells him with a smile "What I believe is, that what you are going through is nothing but the cycles of your ordeal, trying to obtain some closure." She explained.

"Closure? Closure of whom? Nopony I know has died."

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. Someone did die, you." Luna points at him. "Like you told me, you died in your previous world, and despite having a second chance you haven't even let yourself mourn your own death."

The prince looks at his hand in realization, his silhouette slowly turning a more clear shape as his slightly brown skin start to show. "Mourn my own death…."

The princess holds his hand. "Its ok nephew, now I understand more clearly what's happening, as well as knowing that we all mourn our losses in our own special way, so just do what you have to do. You can count on my support."

Her words help him calm down but then gets scared "And what about the prince?"

"You are him." She answers "He is you as much as you are him, no matter what you were used to be, now you both are the same pony."

"So I just…merged with him?" He looks at her with a raised eyebrow as she backs away. "That's yet to be defined but by what I had seen, that is the most logical explanation"

"Then why I haven't seen any of his memories? Or have encountered him, here at all?"

"I'm afraid that _is_ something that is also eluding me," Luna tells honestly.

The prince looks down in thought before nodding and standing up "Even if that is so, I need to, at the very, least try prin…aunty. If the prince **is** trapped somewhere in here, then it'll not be fair to just...forget about him. I need to rescue him."

"Then do just that." Luna tells him with a smile. "If he's there, then you'll have my thanks for helping my family, but if not then I wish that this quest brings you some peace."

"Thanks for understanding." The prince smiles at her and then chuckled. "How I wish you were the real princess?"

It's Luna's turns to get confused at that comment before understanding what's happening and then just smirked. "You haven't been taught much about the domains that I control, right?"

"Ah no, why?"

Luna just chuckles at his reaction. "Oh I think it's better if they explain it to you directly, just do me one favor. Once you wake up, ask Twilight Sparkle to tell you about what I have dominion over. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, I guess"

"Thank you, nephew." She goes to him and kisses his forehead. "The hour grows late. It's almost time for you to wake up. I wish you good fortune in your quest my dear nephew and do not worry about a thing. Until you're ready, your secret is safe with me." Luna waves goodbye as everything around the prince starts to fade out into the distance until he finds himself waking up.

Blinking a couple of times the prince just stares at the ceiling confused.

_Ok that is possibly the most realistic dream that I have ever had._

Sitting up, the prince just stretches and scratches his side.

_But for some reason I feel very refreshed and calm. It really was a pleasant dream besides the start._

Getting out and making his bed, the prince remembers what Luna asked of him to do and with a shrug decided to comply.

_Ah, why not? Might as well find out more about her._

After deciding what to do, he just exits his room and heads to the kitchen where he knows the others are probably already there, eating some breakfast.


	16. Royal White Lies

**Royal White Lies**

With a yawn of boredom, the prince put down his book on social studies. "Ah, this is so boring!" He then looks back at his companions; the cutie marks crusaders, who were busy doing their own assignments. All four of them were currently at the library in Twilight's school, on a study session preparing for an upcoming test, his being from the princess, and the cutie marks from Miss Cheerilee. A couple of days had passed, and even though there was still so much more for him to learn, all of the basic knowledge in magic and academics that he needed was already taught and mastered, thanks to the crusaders, Starlight, Twilight, and even Luna, who were all kind enough to give him a hand, or hoof in their cases, to learn at all. So much so that Twilight saw fit to move his studies into a more social/royal area, starting by introducing him to what a royal must know when greeting ambassadors from all three tribes.

And even when he no longer was in Cheerilee's class, the crusaders were more than happy to keep helping him in his studies for the remainder of his stay.

"Tell me about it." Scootaloo mentions with a roll of her eyes "I mean why do we need to learn half of this stuff? When exactly would I need to know who was the fourth court magician after Clover the Clever?"

"Come on guys, it's important for us to learn all this stuff, no matter how boring it is." Sweetie Bell tells them.

"Yeah, you would never know when you'll need to know all this stuff." Applebloom mentions taking a peek at Blueblood's book. "You especially New Blood. It was really embarrassin' that you didn't know what you can and can't do in front of a pegasus."

"Maybe, but even so, I still find it hard to believe that they actually have six different types of dances, for formal gatherings." Blueblood mentions in boredom which catch Scoots attentions.

"We do?" She looks at his book again "Oh, so that is why my mom has been insisting me to take traditional dance lessons." She tells him with a smile."Now everything makes more sense, thanks, New Blood."

"Glad that I could help." He stretches out his body and looks at the clock "Wow, we've been studying for almost four hours?!" He looks at it in shock, followed by the cutie mark crusaders who turned to look at it in fear.

"Four hours? Oh no, I'm late!" Applebloom panics as she starts to pack her books. "I promised Granny Smith that I'd feed the chickens after school, if I don't do it before she finds out I've been here all this time, I'll be grounded."

"And I was supposed to be home already, my parents must be pretty mad at me right now." Sweetie Bell mentions as she starts to pack her things too.

"Sorry New B, but I have to go. You should, too, before it gets dark." Scoots agreed.

"We will continue tomorrow at the clubhouse, we promise." She mentions as the other two nod and then all three headed towards the door

"Sorry for the hurry but we really need to go, New Blood. See you later." Sweetie Bell waves before all three of them rush out of the library as if their tails were on fire.

Blinking a couple of times, the prince can only wave as they go, leaving him completely alone.

_Well, looks like the study session is over._

He mentions to himself, as he starts packing as well, and then he proceeds to pull out a book of spells. For the past few days, ever since his little chat with the princess of the night, Blueblood has been collecting, all the materials he needed for the potion. To his luck, the princess even gave him suggestions and ideas on where to find much of the ingredients that he needed. He had managed to get all but two so far.

One being a hydra blossom, which like the name implies, grows only around the habitat of the creature, and the other was the light of a sunset. Something that, after further inspections, had meant that he needed to mix all of the components in a place with plenty of sunlight, at the exact right moment, and use a magnifying glass to absorb said light into the potion. The requirements in and of itself weren't the problem. Obtaining the potion in secret was the tricky part.

So putting the last required ingredient for the end, the prince decided to place his attention on the flower, which to his luck, he had found a safer alternative from peeking at the books in Twilight's house. A spell that could transform a plant into another for an hour exactly. It was a complex and really difficult challenge to do indeed, but if performed correctly, meant that the prince would only need to worry about that one final step. After careful consideration, and secret practices with dummy plants, Blueblood felt ready to give this spell his first try and being at the school gave him the perfect excuse to cover if he was discovered.

With a smile and a nod, the prince packs the book again and puts the saddlebag on, before walking toward the entrance, determined on obtaining the final ingredient on his list.

Meanwhile in Twilight's office

The princess of friendship was finishing placing some snacks on a table when she had heard a knock on the door. After Spike had opened it, she was received by the image of both Princess Celestia and a tall creature, similar to Ocellus but male, way taller, and instead of having one horn; he had two big antlers on his head, who Celestia was chatting calmly with before looking back at Twilight.

"Princess Celestia, King Thorax welcome," Twilight tells giving her old mentor a hug as Spike approached Thorax.

"Hey Thorax."

"Hi Spike." He waves at him. "It's nice to see you."

"Right back at you, dude." They fist bumped before they entered the room and took a seat. Celestia was soon taking a nice cup of tea within her magic ."Thanks again for agreeing to meet with us Thorax."

"Don't mention it, princess. It was my pleasure, and I would like to think that our training for deception can be used for good, at least once." Thorax tells with a smile. "I hope you don't mind that I ask you to meet us here. I just thought that meeting in Canterlot might have been too suspicious." Thorax tells her with some worry, as he takes a seat in front of her, while Twilight sat next to the princess, and Spike to Thorax.

"It was a brilliant move Thorax. I couldn't have thought of it better myself."

"Yeah, it was pretty clever, even if information of this encounters a leak, anypony would just think that you two were here to just discuss ideas for my school." Twilight mention with a smile

The compliment makes Thorax blush a little and look away. "It's nothing really, just some standard changeling techniques." He looks back at her "Also, sorry it took me so long to answer, Ember and I have been having some minor issues with our territory, so I just couldn't answer right away."

"Ah, nothing too serious right?" Spike asks with some worry.

"Oh no, no there's nothing to worry about Spike. It was just a couple of dragons that stepped into our borders and started scaring my citizens, for the most part, so don't worry, there's no risk of war whatsoever." He tells with a smirk, making the dragon to huff and cross his arms.

"You get scared of provoking a war one time, and nopony ever lets you live it down." He complains making everyone in the room laugh.

"So back to business." Thorax mentions looking back at Celestia, "You told me that there's a small problem that you could use my help with?"

The princess nods and takes a sip of her tea, adopting a more professional approach. "That's correct, King Thorax, you see, recently my nephew Blueblood suffers from some sort of amnesia that has rendered him completely vulnerable to suggestion and manipulation from the other nobles. That's why we brought him here, to re-learn all the basic knowledge that he needed before coming back home. I hope you don't mind that we use the changeling necklace that you loan us."

Thorax shake his head at that "None at all princess…ah he is not wearing it for long periods of time, isn't he? Because in ponies, that artifact can be a bit, overwhelming" He tells them with some degree of concern

"Nope, he only wears it when necessary and not a minute more" Celestia respond

"Yep, Twilight even cast some spells in the castle, so not to abused the necklace too much," Spike add

Thorax sigh in relief at that "That is a relief, the ancient archives in the hive tell stories of ponies that stole some of those necklaces and ended up losing their mind when they develop a severe case of split personality where they even forgot who was the original pony"

Twilight gasps and approaches Thorax with a giant smile. "You have ancient archives about changeling inventions? Do you think I could read some of them?" She asks with a hopeful smile before Celestia had regained their attention by using her magic, slowly making Twilight back away.

"One favor at a time, Twilight." Celestia tells her before addressing Thorax once more. "Anyway, back to the subject at hoof. Despite our best efforts, the news of his condition has spread as a rumor amongst the nobles and now they all wish to find my nephew for their own nefarious plans. I wish to stop them before that can happen, and that's why I requested your help with this King Thorax. As the ruler of the changelings, I was wondering if you could make a fake meeting for us to 'leak' information out the masses, that could convince the nobles that our lie was legitimate all along."

"Ah I get, the classic 57 move." He tells with a chuckle "Old, but efficient."

"You have a classification for these kinds of things?" Spike mentions in surprise.

"We've been impersonating ponies for centuries, Spike. It was inevitable that they would start to get number for each different one. Although, now that I think about it, we haven't been able to find a proper order to catalog them in." Thorax mentions, bringing his hoof to his chin. Twilight gasps in excitement at the mention of cataloging, yet Celestia stops her before she starts begging Thorax to let her help with that particular problem.

"Of course, we're not expecting for you to do this for nothing, King Thorax. We are more than willing to offer a compromise that would be beneficial for you, in return of this favor." Celestia tells him with a smile.

"Oh no, it's fine princess, we'd gladly lend you a hoof, no problem," He tells raising a hoof and smiling before something pops into his head. "Actually. I think I know something that could benefit both of us, at the same time"

"Yeah?" Celeste asks in intrigue.

"As long as we can do it, we'd be more than happy to help you, Thorax," Twilight tells him with a smile.

"Well you see, some of my changelings have had missions where they had to impersonate nobles, so we could steal their money for Chrysalis's conquest." He quickly raised his hoof in front of them. "Don't worry about that though. Currently I'm working on returning all the money to their proper owners, believe me, it was a horror of paperwork, since a lot of those nobles can be particularly shady and are more than willing to try and find loopholes, declare missing cargo, and many other things just to try and get more bits than what they had lost." He tells, in exasperation, lowering his hoof.

"I know the feeling," Celestia tells him with a roll of her eyes.

"So you see it's not a problem that's too big, but it's one particularly annoying one, so maybe things can be solved if a family of changelings is introduced as nobles in Canterlot." He mentions with a smile.

"You want to create the first changeling nobles?" Spike asks in confusion and Thorax justs nods.

"Some of them have to impersonate nobles for such a long period of time, that they end up coming to like their role, so, often times, they approach me, asking if there's a way for me to create some sort noble changelings within the hive. We are still repairing all the damage Chrysalis had made, so I don't think we are ready to establish one yet, much to their disappointment." He then looks at Celestia.

"But there's where you could help, Princess. If you let them be introduced within Canterlot society as changelings, their dream could be fulfilled. We could pay the money we stole **and** my hive could get its first legitimate source of income, all in one move." He says with a smile, as the princess just nods at his suggestion, and then puts her tea down.

"If I do this, can you promise me that those changelings won't change form?"

"Oh no, of course not. The idea is for them to be introduced as the face of our society, just like Ocellus is doing here." Thorax explains. "Also there's no need for you to train them in politics or nobility, they know pretty well how that game works"

"It will not be easy, the nobles of Canterlot can be particularly ruthless."

"I have warned them, but all the same princess, they're more than willing to take the challenge," Thorax tells with determination.

"In that case, you have a deal, King Thorax. I will gladly accept your request and do anything in my power to introduce Equestria to their first noble family of changelings." The princess tells extending her hoof for a hoofshake. Thorax accepts it. "Do you have an idea in what business they could take?"

"Not yet, but I think we both can think of something."

"Hey, that could be it!" Spike chips in

"What is it, Spike?"

"The meeting, the thing Blueblood is supposed to be doing!" He says with a cheer. "He could be reuniting with the changeling nobles since he 'knows' about the families in Canterlot and in exchange for buttering him up, the prince could help them get in."

"Spike, that's brilliant!" Twilight exclaims. "That could also explain why he didn't say a word about any of it to them, since nobles are really shady, so they'd assume he'd be thinking of searching for allies and letting his other 'friends' know how they could be replaced if something were to happen." She thought.

"As much as I would love to disagree, these kinds of deals fit with my nephew's past," Celestia tells hanging her head in shame.

"But things didn't go as planned." Thorax mentions, gaining their attention as he starts to think. "To sell the lie, you must make it fit the result. Spike is right that the plan is perfect at the start but at the end, we can really think of a reason for his sudden change of heart, something that made him reflect on himself, and why he's so different now."

That cheers Celestia up "That will be the perfect cherry on top."

Thorax nod as he stands up "I can rally some of my changelings for the 'meeting' and explain the situation to the ones that want to be nobles. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help too, we would only need a picture of him hanging out with some of them, and we could take care of the rest."

"You have my thanks, King Thorax. With your help, we'll soon be able to introduce Canterlot to…" At that moment, a tremor is felt catching everyone's attention.

"What was that?" Spike asks, but soon they all heard a roar coming from the distance that put them on alert, as they all headed to the door to see what was happening.

Once they reached the garden, they're met by a growing number of students, as well as, the elements approaching the origin of the chaos. They continue forwards until they see some kind of plant that resembles a rose, the side of a full grown python with four long reptilian necks with the heads of dragons, that had petals as a sort of mane. The plant was currently trying to eat the poor prince who is fighting for dear life using a half complete and fragile shield spell that's cracking, as the pressure on one of the creature mouth's builds.

The elements try to approach, but the three remaining heads prevent them from advancing.

"What is happening?!" Twilight asks in alarm as she approaches her friends.

"Hay if I know Twilight," Applejack says, trying to keep the rest of the students at bay with the help of Starlight.

"This thing just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking your cousin without any rhyme or reason." Starlight tells as she used a shield spell to contain the masses.

"I'm trying to get to him but all those heads are getting in my way," Dash complained after being thrown to the ground by its tail.

Finally, Blueblood shield breaks and the creature almost ate him if it wasn't for him jumping back on the last second. He desperately tries to run away but the plants turn out to be faster than him and trap him with its tail full of thorns and it starts constricting the life out of him.

"**New Blood!**" Twilight yells in alarm and tries to do something but Celestia acts faster and punches one of the heads so hard, it explodes almost immediately. The creature gets startled for a second and stops what it was doing, just to receive a solar beam divided into three rays, right on the faces which incinerate them before the light even reaches them and reduces them to ash, as if they were just common paper against the might of the sun.

"Wow." That's all everyone can say at the display as the creature stumbles backward and falls to the ground, releasing the poor bruised and exhausted prince, who gasps for air with some difficulty as he holds his chest with one hoof while the other lay limp on the ground, no doubt broken.

The princess rushes to his side, with worry and carefully lift his head so to see him in the eyes. The prince flinches from the pain before looking at her "Its ok dear, it's over now" she tells him in a reassuring voice as she tries to calm him down and nuzzles his side, not caring that she was compromising his secret, at the time being, as her motherly instinct was taking over.

"Aun…" The prince bites his tongue at the last second and notices that they were being observed by a crowd of ponies which were starting to make him nervous "P…" Talking was painful for him, yet he manages to speak at his second attempt. "Princess…Celestia?" He tells faking surprise, which to his luck convince everyone minus Twilight, Spike, Applejack and Starlight, the last two looking at them suspiciously. "W…what are you…doing here?"

The princess gets the hint immediately and starts to act her part as well "Don't talk my little pony, help is on its way." She tells with a smile as she addresses the crown. "Somepony bring me a doctor! Now!" She commands, making everypony snap into action, Dash flew away in search for a doctor, Fluttershy, and Applejack approach to see how they could help, and the rest of the elements work in dispersing the crowd.


	17. Nursing Mistakes

**Nursing Mistakes**

After things calmed down, Blueblood was taken to Ponyville General, where it only took one glance at Princess Celestia to get him moved in and look after immediately. Normally, the princess wouldn't use her position for something like this, especially if there was other ponies with far worse cases, and yet at the moment, she couldn't and wouldn't refuse any special treatment. Her concern for her last blood relative had been taking over her mind, making her unable to pay attention to anything else. She, as well as the elements, Thorax, Spike, and Starlight, were currently in the waiting room of the hospital, wondering when nurse Red Heart would walk through the doors and tell them her professional opinion on the prince's condition.

Celestia, in particular, was just sitting in front of the door as the elements stayed quiet in awkward silence, none of them knowing what to do or even say in this situation. Eventually, Applejack couldn't take it anymore and she decided to break the ice.

"Can anypony please just say something already?" Applejack says, looking around the room yet, no one answered.

"Fine, if nopony is going to say it I will." She tells with a small glare at Twilight "What in the hay just happened Twilight? Who really is New B, and don't you dare tell me that you don't know what I'm talkin' about, because that'll be a bag of manure and you know it!" She tells pointing at the princess.

"Worrying about a colt's in danger, my flank! Ah know when a pony is concerned for her family's and back there was just what I saw."

Starlight just sighs and looks at Twilight with sympathy. "Twilight, I know you asked me to keep quiet, and I want to respect that, but at this point, you might as well just go and tell us. Like AJ said, perhaps other ponies could be fooled with Celestia's act, but we all know her better than that."

"I…I'm sorry I just can't."

"Its ok Twilight." Celestia says turning to the rest of the group. "Applejack has raised a good point and it would be insulting not to tell them now. I only ask that in return all of you, please keep the secret, once you've heard the truth." Celestia asks the group.

They just looked back at her and then smiled with a nod. "Do you really need to ask princess?" AJ mentions.

"Yeah, you can count on us! If you tell us to keep quiet, we'll gladly do it." Dash adds, hovering in the middle of the room.

"Plus, this seems kind of serious if you even ask Twilight to keep it away from us." Fluttershy mentions as well. "I just hope it's nothing too dangerous."

"Honestly darling, I'm a bit offended. Regardless of the secret, I'm not the type of pony that likes to gossip….that's not fashion related." Rarity says, pointing at Rainbow Dash, who seemed like she was about to counter her argument.

Twilight smiles and nods. "Thanks for understanding, and I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you guys, but we just didn't want to risk that this information would get out into the world before he was ready to handle it. A lot of ponies would have loved to use this information to their advantage, and if they do, Equestria could very well be in danger."

"Oh my. That sounds bad." Fluttershy mentions, bringing a hoof to her mouth in surprise.

"It is, because you see..." Twilight looks at Rarity and Applejack, a bit unsure before swallowing hard and proceeding to tell them. "I didn't exactly tell a lie to you, girls. New B. is _technically_ my cousin, my cousin in law at least." She turns to Celestia "As well as being Princess Celestia's nephew."

The color in Rarity's fur drained in horror, as she feared of what Twilight was implying. "No..."

"New B. Blood is actually…"

"No." Rarity says again, as her horror kept growing. AJ's eyes widen in realization, as she starts to piece together everything as well.

"…Blueblood."

"N…!" Rarity almost yells in disgust and horror, but Celestia bubbles her head in a sound cancelling sphere. "Miss Rarity. I understand your surprise from your past experiences with him, but need I remind you this is a hospital?" She ask to her with a small glare, before looking back at the double doors, as Rarity continued her fit. Most likely not even noticing the bubble around her head.

"Oh! I get it now, that's what the 'B' stood for all along, right?" Starlight mentions with a smile before lightly hitting her head. "It was a code. New BlueBlood! Why didn't I see it?"

"The most subtle of hints are the ones that are put right in front of you." Thorax mentions with a smile before getting confused by Rarity's reaction, as he looks over towards Spike. "Did something happen between those two?"

"It's a long story." Spike explains with a sigh. "Let's just say, Rarity had a first-hoof experience with old Blueblood."

"Oh." Thorax nods in understanding once he had heard that.

"You mean to tell us that, _that_ spoiled, snooty, 'too good for good old homemade cooking'. son of a mule, is now that kind, little colt!?" Applejack says in disbelief, glaring at Twilight. "I said that we wanted the truth, Twilight!"

"I'm telling you the truth!" Twilight exclaims. "I swear, all of the stories I told you, it's the complete truth. We don't know what happened, how or when exactly either, but Blueblood just lost all of his memories. When the princess found him, he couldn't even remember how to walk." She states. "And if the nobles find out about this, they'll just swarm him like sharks attracted to blood. They could corrupt him, use him like their personal puppet or worse, make him an even bigger jerk than he already was!"

"An even bigger jerk? But that would be, like two times meanier and jerkier version of him. It'll be like a Worse Second Blueblood!" Pinkie mentions in a panic.

"Exactly, that's why we couldn't risk his condition getting out."

"But why didn't you tell us Twilight?" Applejack looks at her with hurt in her eyes.

"It was my fault Applejack." Celestia says to them. "Like she said, we needed to keep this situation as quiet as possible. Plus, I wanted him to have a real second chance at living in harmony and with friends." She mentions as she looks back at her "Before you tell us how we should have had more faith in you, let me ask you a question. Would you have given him a chance if you ever knew the truth? And before answering just know that even I couldn't believe what was happening either." She mentions turning to look at all of them in the eyes.

Rainbow was the first one to try to retort, but she ultimately couldn't say anything, as she just lowers her hoof and looks at the ground in shame. Soon, the others were doing the same. Even Pinkie Pie wasn't sure of herself, as her mane starts to deflate in guilt. Everypony had a look of guilt about them, minus Thorax, Starlight, and Rarity, the latter just too busy still in her rage fit. All of them just looked down, ashamed to admit it, but the princess' words were right. The prince was something that, after hearing Rarity's story, as well as some sort of encounter with him one way or another, made them all share a common loathsome attitude towards him. So chances were that if Twilight or even the princess were to ask them to give him a chance, they would probably just laugh, thinking she was joking or just downright refuse to.

"That is what I thought." The princess stated before going back to wait.

"Wow, was he really such a horrible pony?" Starlight asks in complete surprise, looking at everypony in the room. "Twilight, what did he do in the past to just be so universally hated? I mean, I virtually destroyed Equestria more than once, enslaved a population, ruined your friendships and tried to brainwash all of you, and yet you could all forgive me almost immediately, after I just said 'I'm sorry.' What did he do, that even that was not enough?"

She didn't know it, but her words were only making their guilt and shame grow ten times in size, making them to feel like they were just monsters. Even Rarity had to stop her ranting for a second when she heard that, before just shaking her head and turning her back in indignation.

Before anyone else could say anything else, the double doors opened, a unicorn mare with a pink mane and tail, white fur, and a nursing hat walking in. Celestia now alerted, she rushed towards her. "How is he?"

She smiles and looks at the Alicorn. "The prince will recover just fine, princess. It was a miracle, but his hoof just has a minor dislocation, so he'll only need to wear a cast on it for a couple of days."

"Oh, thank the stars." Celestia let go of her breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"His rib cage and horn on the other hoof," The nurse continued adopting a more serious expression, "Suffered far more serious injuries. One of his anterior ribs broke, and just by sheer luck didn't pierce anything. He's depleted all of his magic, so he **will** be forced to wear a dampening horn ring and bed rest until he recovers enough of his energies, and until his body heals properly. That means, no exercise, no magic and no heavy lifting of any kind for a week, and after that just levitation spells until further notice." She explains to the princess and then gives the changeling necklace back.

"Luckily, returning him to normal didn't worsen his conditions but, I'm afraid until he fully recovers, he can no longer wear this. Otherwise, his injuries could reopen. I'm sorry princess." Nurse Red Heart mentioned, causing Celestia to shake her head. "What's important is that he's ok." She says looking at the necklace and then back at the nurse. "Can I see him?"

She nods and steps aside. "Just be careful around him right now, he needs peace and quiet."

Celestia nods and starts to walk inside. "Thank you, nurse Red Heart."

The others followed suit but Red Heart stops them. "Sorry, only family members at the moment."

"I'm his cousin." Twilight mentions but Applejack stops her. "Oh no ya don't! You still have a lot to explain Twilight." AJ says "For now, let the princess go talk with him. We still need to talk about the other things that happened." She says with some worry, which peaked Celestia's attention.

"Do you mind if I come too?" Thorax asks the nurse. " I need to talk with him. Don't worry, I'll be fast." He says.

The nurse is a bit taken aback, but once the princess nods, she stepped aside and let King Thorax in as well. "Thanks."

Once they're gone, Applejack sighs and looks at her friend. "Twilight, did the princess know about the near-death experience?" She mentioned with worry, surprising Starlight.

"Wait, what?!"

In a private room

Looking at the starry night through his window, the prince just sighs before looking at his hoof cast, suspended in a sling.

_So much for keeping this body intact_

He thought in shame before scratching the ring on his horn.

_God, what the hell is this thing and why does it itch so much?_

His attention is drawn to the front door when he heard it open, and from it, Princess Celestia and King Thorax walked in. The prince reacts immediately and bows to them as much as he could in a hospital bed. "Your high…"

"You can stop nephew." Celestia stops him using her magic and makes Blueblood look at her. "He knows," She says before her expression turns more serious. "And that's not the subject we need to discuss right now." Her face slowly turns into one of anger as she put the necklace on a nearby table.

"Oh." Blueblood reading the mood as he looks down. "The incident with the plant, aunty I just want to say…"

"Do you **have** any idea of the scare you just gave me?!" She complains approaching his bed, making him flinch at her reaction, as she starts to pace left and right in front of him. "Practicing behind your teacher's back, trying a complex spell, which by the way, specifically tells you that you need at least two unicorns to perform it correctly and you jump straight away into the most complex type of transformations it can offer, and worst of all, you try it on your own, in a secluded place where nopony could see you. Not only was that extremely irresponsible and dangerous, you could have hurt others. Can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn't been there when that thing came into being?" The princess shook her head and breaths in and out, trying to calm her nerves before continuing. "What do you have to say in your defense, young colt?" She mentions keeping her cold gaze on him.

The prince can only shrink under her gaze and looks down in shame from the scolding. "I'm really sorry, Aunty. I just got curious. Starlight told me that I was making progress pretty fast so I thought that maybe I could try something a bit more advanced, and I thought I could manage something like that."

The princess stopped her glaring, letting out a sigh before sitting on his bed next to him. "Blueblood, look, it's ok for you to be curious about magic and wish to learn more, I even encourage that, but I asked Twilight not to give you advance spells specifically because of this. They are dangerous, and the risk of miscasting is much higher than a regular one." She used her hoof to bring his face up. "You are my precious little nephew, as well as my last distant relative. I'm worried for your well being, Blueblood. That's why I sent you here in the first place, if something had happened to you I would be devastated." She mentioned with worry, bringing him into a hug using her wings and hooves. "That's why I want you to promise me that you will **never** do something as dangerous and reckless as this ever again."

The prince felt terrible, as the sentence provoked a mental conflict in him. Here he was, being loved by a pony he felt he was tricking. The sensation of being cared for was something alien, and, at the same time, welcoming to him. The unconditional love she was giving, the comfort of her wings, the harsh yet fair words only a family member could give. All of that and more made him feel both very happy and guilty at the same time, as he hugged her back. "Aunty, I-I'm really sorry."

"Promise me." Celestia repeats herself, sensing how he was dodging her words until she felt him nod on her stomach.

"I promise, I will not do something like that again. I'll just be patient and let my training go at its proper pace."

"That's the only thing I wanted to hear." Celestia relaxed and let him go. "Yet, I'm afraid you will not get out of this mess so easily, nephew." She mentions more relaxed yet still stern.

"What?" He asks in surprise and fear.

"Starting tomorrow, you will have an escort of two guards with you at all times.",she proclaims in determination. "Not only that, but now, you are prohibited from playing outside with your friends until you are fully healed."

"What? But aunty-"

"Don't, 'but aunty' me, mister." She says, stern once more. "I gave you freedom and you abused it, so if you want it back, you will have to earn it. So one more complaint and I will hold your hoof and drag you around with me, everywhere that I go, for a month. Are we clear?"

The prince sighs in defeat. "Yes aunty."

Celestia smiles and stands up. "It will just be temporary and it's mostly for my own peace of mind, nephew." She says to him in a calm voice, bringing his attention. "The doctor said that, due to your injury, you can't do too much exercise and can't do any kind of heavy lifting for a while anyway, so all of this will just be a precaution. I know that you can be patient, and this will only teach you to be more careful."

"I-I understand aunty, I promise to be more careful from here on out."

"That's what I like to hear." She mentions with a satisfied smile.

The prince, at that moment, realized something.

"Aunty, what's going to happen, now that we can't keep this secret anymore?"

"There's no need for you to worry about it. I already had something in mind for that. For now," The princess look back at her companion, "There's someone I would like you to meet dear, a friend of us that was kind enough, to help us in our time of need. I only wish the situation would have been more favourable." She told Blueblood as he looked to the changeling in the room approaching the two.

"Hi" he simply waves at them with a smile. "My name is Thorax, it's very nice to finally meet you Blueblood."

"It's very nice to meet you too, Thorax." He says trying to be more friendly before getting intrigued by a passing thought."By any chance are you Ocellus' dad?"

That comment makes Thorax laugh and shake his head. "Oh no, she's just one of my subjects but don't worry about offending me. Due to my height, its a common mistake"

"Subject?" His eyes wide in realization "Then that would mean…" He looks back at Celestia who just nods. "Nephew, I want you to meet King Thorax, ruler of the changelings."

Blueblood's eyes widen, and he's about to bow again when Thorax stops him.

"Ah, you don't need to do that prince. We're all royals here." He exclaims.

"Sorry." Blueblood mentions with some embarrassment.

"Nephew, the race of the changelings are the ones responsible for making that necklace that helped us." Celestia explains pointing at say artifact.

"Wait, they made the necklace?"

"That's right, one of our best creations, capable of copying our famous ability," He says, before engulfing himself in a green fire and turning into an exact copy of Celestia down to her voice. "Shapeshifting." He announces before changing back.

"Wow." That's the only thing Blueblood could say, in surprise "Does that hurt?"

"Oh not at all, it's like when you unicorns used magic from your horns, this kind of things is just simply something that we can do." Thorax explain.

"Thorax and I were planning a story for you to use when you return to Canterlot, a way to help you reintroduce you into society, without any risk of the nobility taking advantage of your situation."

"We have been known for being the masters of infiltration ever since our creation. Long story, I'll tell you later." He raises his hoof before the prince could ask "So when the princess herself told us that we could use those abilities to help, I was more than happy to give her a hoof. We only needed to discuss the plan with you, take a couple of pictures and then you simply needed to play along and see how well we do our magic" Thorax mentions with a small degree of pride.

"Unfortunately, that plan kind of got derailed now." Celestia says with a sigh.

Feeling responsible, Blueblood just looks down like he just broke Celestia's favorite tea set. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter at this point." Thorax shake his head. "And hey, all is not lost. We can still think of something else, perhaps we could save some of the plans, and try something different."

"Something different…" The prince has an idea and looks back at them. "Maybe this is not a complete loss."

That grabs both of their attention. "What do you mean?"

"What was the original plan? Maybe I just messed it up, but if there is something I have learned living here is that I can adapt to the situation." He tells them with confidence.

_God I'm going to hate myself to play the business game once more, but if I can use it to solve this problem, then so be it!_

"Blueblood I don't think we could still do…" Celestia tells him but the prince interrupt her

"Please aunty, at least let me try. I dragged you both into this mess, now let me fix it."

The two blink in surprise before looking at one another until they agree. "Ok, here is what we got." Thorax commences explaining.

* * *

Chapter 18, 19 and 20 will be posted, on the 5 of september of this week but for anyone that wish to read it early you can visit my page on ko-fi ( link to the page on the profile page ) . And if you wish to gave a donation it will be more than well receive thanks!


	18. Midnight Chats

**Midnight Chats**

Once Thorax finished explaining his plan to the prince, he started to carefully weigh all of his options, and think carefully about how it could all work.

"So all I needed to do, was take a picture of me just...mingling with you to leak to the nobles, so they could stop trying to find out what happened to me."

"Exactly!" Thorax says with a nod. "But we can't take the picture now. With how you look, it would appear that we beat you up for a deal."

"It depends on the concept." He explains with a sigh before looking at both of them. "Look from what I have gathered, my past self was, in short, a sociopath. So if I really was like that, then that means that reuniting with changelings was more than just searching for allies and treating the ones that I had. It would be a way of entertaining me."

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked with intrigue.

"This is how I imagine my story will have to go. The meeting would go as planned, just like you told me, but this wouldn't be about helping them enter into noble society. It will be about them crawling at my hoofs, seeing who can be the most useful to me. Then letting the others beg as much as they want, only to refuse their petitions, leaving only a few to serve me as my pawns." He spat with disgust.

"That sounds horrible!" Thorax exclaimed in surprise.

"Yet reasonable." Celestia mentioned in shame. "Since puberty, I don't recall Blueblood having any kind of real friend, just assets, and contacts to whatever and whenever he needed."

"And that is what we need to keep making Equestria believe has happened, so we can spread rumours of me finding new pieces to use. Maybe just deliver a 'leaked' list of options into the public with some of the names crossed out, indicating that they 'didn't make it'." He explains doing air quotes. "And then it will be when these injuries would come into play." Blueblood said with confidence.

"And what do you have in mind nephew?" Celestia asks, now interested.

Before Blueblood could answer, Red Hearts entered the room. "Excuse me, your highnesses?"

They all turn to her. "Visiting hours are already over. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave." She tells them calmly.

"I understand nurse, but can't you give us a couple of minutes? This is kind of important." Celestia asked with some worry, yet the nurse just shakes her head "Sorry, rules are rules and the prince needs to rest. Tomorrow morning he can be dispatched, but for now, he needs to remain here in observation and, like I already told you, rest."

"But…" Celestia protests.

"Aunty it's ok, I can tell you tomorrow. Although it could be better if I don't say **everything** to you" He said, looking away.

"What? Why?" Celestia asked with a hurt expression.

"Don't take it personally aunty, but it will help a lot if you fake surprise, with my movement, and well..." He tried to find the right words. "I was told that acting is not exactly one of your strong suits."

"What do mean I can't act? Who told…?" Celestia eyes widen in realization before glaring at the moon in the distance. "Luna..." She whispers as Red Heart lightly pushes both her and Thorax out of the room, the latter taking the changeling necklace with him.

"Feel better Blueblood, we will come for you first thing in the morning." Thorax says as they retire, the nurse stopping Celestia before she could try to enter the room once more before turning off the lights, making the prince chuckle at her display.

"See you there." He waves back before yawning and laying on the bed to get some sleep.

In the waiting room

"We need to tell her Twilight." AJ says as everyone sits in a circle.

"I agree, but do you think this should be the right time? I mean, you saw how she reacted with what happened this morning, the stars know what she will do if she finds out that at some point her nephew almost died, and that experience is probably what made him the way he is now." Twilight argues back.

"Even so, she has the right to know Twilight." Dash chips in. "At least, I know that if something had happened to my mom or dad and you knew I would be very angry that you had just decided not to tell me."

The rest of the girls nodded. "I think I would be very sad if something like that had happened to me, even if I will be sad when you would tell me, but, at the the very least, I would be happy knowing I can trust you." Fluttershy mentions.

"Yeah Twilight, besides its Princess Celestia we're talking about, I'm sure she can handle it just fine." Pinkie mentions.

Twilight look at them until she sees Rarity who has been quiet ever since they started talking. "Rarity? Do you want to say something?"

"I believe I already have said all I wanted to say."

"Rarity please, I know you had a horrible night with him, but like Starlight said, it was _ONE_ night, when she and Discord have done way worse things and we forgave them, no offense." Twilight quickly tells looking at Starlight

"No, you're right Twilight, it's a valid point. Tell me Rarity, if you accept me, why can't you accept an apology from him?"

"Because even when being evil, you and Discord were just better than him." Rarity snaps, getting their attention.

"Let me rephrase myself, when Discord was on the loose he just did what he does; chaos. That is all he knows, and what he is. For Celestia's sake, don't you remember what Fluttershy once told us? If he doesn't perform acts of chaos, he literally fades away."

"Oh I remember that day, it was really scary, thinking that he was gone forever," Fluttershy says, shivering at the thought.

"And as for you Starlight, yes you did all of those horrible things but even when brainwashing us, you never once looked down on us." Rarity says pointing at her.

"True, you did destroy the world a couple of times. True, you wanted to break our friendship. However, you never considered us lower or not even worth your time. That 'prince'," Rarity says, practically spitting the words. "Is no better than Tirek, Sombra or Chrysalis, with his grand schemes of greatness and his gigantic ego, no scratch that, those three at the very least had the power to back their claims. He is just a full grown brat that is never going to change and the only thing he does is use others for his whims."

"Geez Rarity, a bit harsh don't you think?" Dash protests.

"He made me give him a piggy ride the moment we meet!" She yells back. "And once more, made me pay for his food! He still is the bratty snooty colt as before." She says back.

"Ah, Rarity, no offense but both cases you were the one refusing 'no' for an answer." Spike points out.

She just raises her snout and looks away. "That, as it may be, if he really had a near death experience I say he got what he deserves, and if he really wants my forgiveness, he will have to work harder than that." She says in indignation, making Twilight sigh.

"Just please at least give him a chance Rarity, he really has changed."

"We will just have to see what happens." Rarity finally said.

"Well, if we can get back to the subject on hoof, I might have another point to add." Starlight explains. "This death experience might be the clue to his amnesia. I mean, we will definitely have to investigate further, but if we think of the side effects of them, perhaps we could find the reason he lost everything that he remembered." She suggested.

"I think I heard of something like that, it's called a self-preservation coma, and its mostly when the brain just...shuts down everything and puts the patient in a cationic state in a last ditch effort to save their lives. Once the danger passes, it usually goes back to normal." Twilight mentions.

Starlight thinks it over, but then remembers the incident at school. "I don't know Twilight. There are some things in there that just don't add up."

"We can investigate that when the time arrives for it, for now we need to decide; will it really be wise to tell the princess?"

All of the girls nod, surprisingly even Rarity.

"As much as I hate him, if it serves to give the princess mental peace I say it's for the best."

"Then it's decided, once she comes back we will tell her." Twilight agreed.

"Tell me what?" All of them get startled when Celestia and Thorax walk back in. "Princess Celestia, how is Blueblood doing?"

"He is fine, yet tired, so he is going to spend the night here, and tomorrow morning we will pick him up. I apologise for monopolizing the visiting hours." Celestia apologize shamefully.

"Don't worry princess, y'needed to talk with him. And about talking... we needed to discuss somethin." Applejack mentions before looking at Twilight "Go ahead Twilight, tell her"

Twilight just sighs and approaches her. "Princess, there's something you need to know."

At Jet Set and Upper Crust mansion

A gathering was taking place where all sorts of nobles look at a map of Equestria with interest, marking the spots with cities on it.

A unicorn stallion with gray fur and a black mane, wearing a green shirt and a white sweater tie on his neck, crosses yet another place before sighing. "Yet another failure." He says in disappointment. "He isn't in Las Pegasus either."

"Say, Jet Set honey." A unicorn mare who looks just like Rarity with the exception of her having a very light pink fur and red wine mane and tail, as well as wearing a feather scarf, having makeup on her face, and a book with a heart behind it as a cutie mark, whose exclamation got the attention of everyone. "Don't you think that perhaps we're seeing this all wrong? Who is to say our beloved friend is just out there having a fling with some of his maids?" She tells biting her lower lips. "And just wishes for some private time."

"Come on, Scarlet Lips." Sharp Shot mentions. "Do you really think someone as elitist as him could go after a maid? No matter the beauty, we all know Blueblood only goes for nobility."

"Oh, maybe a princess of another nation then?" She asks in excitement. "That is definitely a delicious piece of gossip, with a twist of the end, the brave prince having to fight off the pretender dragon from the gorgeous and hot princess." She says, starting to rant off her idea while making the other just roll their eyes.

"Ok, what are the options that are left?" Jet asks Sharp Shot as they look at the map. "Appleloosa, Manehattan, and Ponyville."

The Royals look at one another before bursting on laughter "Oh yeah, Ponyville, like he would be caught there." Upper Crust chuckled, marking the place off already.

"So he's in Manehattan then, you have contacts there right Fort Nox?" Jet Set tells looking at a big earth pony stallion with a formal suit and fedora who was eating a carrot stick. "Yeah I have my sources there. But the place is pretty big it will take time before I can get back to you."

"How long?"

He shrugs "Let's say four days tops. There is always a meeting here and there popping in the city, and it can be confusing just keeping track of things."

"Excellent." Sharp Shot exclaims with a grin. "Now, does everyone know what to do once we find him?"

They all nod. "Oh, I want to keep him for myself" Scarlet Lips says, with bedroom eyes.

"I would be happy just to be in control of his bank account,"Fort Nox rumbled with a smile.

"And we will be taking care of his status." Jet Set said with a sinister grin.

"Perfect then it's decided, we all keep on the lookout for further movements and just in case, one of us should go to Appleloosa and see if he shows up there."

"Why would he even be there?" Fort Nox ask with a raised eyebrow.

"That is where I would go if I wanted to do something in secret and seclusion." He mentions. "He might be a moron on subtlety, but he has no brains now right? Anything is possible."

"Heh, well I can't argue with that logic." He agreed with a shrug.

"Sharp Shot, sweetie, you haven't told us what you would like to take from this little enterprise of ours." Scarlet Lips says with a shake of her head. "It's not proper to leave a lady in suspense. Please, you gave it enough build up, just tell us what's on that little mind of yours."

Sharp Shot just smirks and looks at his companions. " Let's just say that with his influence I have some plans for the Wonderbolts."

"Oh, is some old war hero wishing his position back on the team?" She asks in a playful matter.

"Coming back? Oh no Scarlet, my plans are way bigger than that, like you couldn't even imagine."

"You don't say, now you've peaked my interest, tell us more."

He just chuckles and walks away. "Come on Scarlet, that just wouldn't be wise. Besides, what's that you always say when you write those love novels of yours? Always keep them wanting for more."

She let out a huff in exasperation. "Oh you tease."

"Well I suppose that is that for the meeting for now," Jet says rolling the map and putting it away. "We will continue as soon as Fort tells us what he finds."

He just nods as he walks to the door as well. "You can count on me, my ponies always find their target."

"Sleep well you two, ta-ta." Scarlet leaves with a little sway on her hips, which catches Jet's attention until his wife jabs him in the ribs with her hoof. "Jet!"

"What? Don't go and say that she didn't do that on purpose." He defends himself, as their friends leave, not knowing that a night court guard had been spying on them the whole time, and just sighed in disappointment as the nobles left their meeting.

_Bunch of jackals_

In the dream realm

In a calm field of grass, where there was only a single tree rising for miles, the prince admired the stars of the night, under the tree, while feeling the cool breeze of the wind on his fur.

Soon, he felt he was no longer alone, as hoofsteps slowly approached him. Closing his eyes, the prince only sighed in defeat before opening them again, only to be greeted by the image of Princess Luna sitting in front of him with a neutral expression. "Princess Luna."

"Nephew" She greets him back keeping her emotionless stare.

"I imagine you already know what happened, right?"

The princess nods. "I was informed of it, yes."

"Are you here to reprimand me too?" He asks with some worry. "If you do, know that Princess Celestia already…"

Luna stops him by lifting her hoof. "I'm not here to say what was already said. I'm not angry nephew, just disappointed…and hurt." She tells before breaking eye contact in sorrow, which surprises the prince.

"Princess, I'm really sorry. What happened to the prince...This was the safest route I could take. I don't even know where I could possibly find a hydra, let alone sneak into their den and just…"

"Blueblood, stop!" The princess screams before looking at him with teary eyes. "Please nephew, just stop this. This quest of yours, the lies, the schemes, the self-degradation, all of this, it has to stop… please stop treating me like we are not family." Her expression soon turns to anger as she points at herself. "A different soul or not, you are still my nephew and I'm your aunt, so even if you don't believe it, just forget formalities and address me as such"

The prince was taken aback and wanted do just that as he extended his hoof…. but guilt prevented from doing so. "I…I want to," He said, lowering his limp hoof. "But I can't."

"Why? Why is it so hard for you to just accept that you had a second chance, that you can start again? Just like you promised your father."

"Because doing it like this, would mean condemning another soul!" He shouts back

"And I told you, there is no soul that you are oppressing!" She tells him back raising her wings

"What?"

She put her wings back and sighs. "All those talks we have, all those nice dreams I gave you. I didn't just do it to help you feel at peace nephew. I heard your story and I believed you, trust me when I say I did. But if you really thought that another soul was trap in here, I was going to help you find him, and that is what I did, from top to bottom I searched, yet I couldn't find anything, not a single piece was amiss. I managed to recollect all of your memories, maybe even awake some past experiences along the way." She mentions with a small smile.

"The flip in the school," He exclaimed in realization, "That was you? But…that was before we talked."

Luna nods, "I might have been too busy to talk face to face back then, but at the very least I could help you ease the pain on your mind." She mentions tapping her own head. "And that is what I did, I apologize for startling you back there."

"It…it doesn't matter, doing so saved me from some injury," He tells before shaking his head "No, we are getting away from the point, Pri…Luna, are you sure? I mean this is the dream realm, maybe it's just my mind. Yeah..perhaps you have to enter in another one, yeah that's it. Just need to get out, check the entrance and find the other…"

"Blueblood, listen to me" Luna stops him by holding both of his cheeks with her hooves. "Any option that you are thinking of, I already did, I have lived for countless millennia. Tartarus I _WROTE_ the book on how to approach this situation, possession, and dreams alike. If I didn't find anything, it is because there isn't anything to find."

She let him go. "Your past self is gone for good. You might have started as a ghost, or awoke a past self or maybe you were just some kind of dream, I don't know and I don't care. I don't know how it happened but it doesn't change a single thing." She smiles and puts a hoof on his chest "This life, this body, and this family is yours nephew, now and forever, so please just accept it and let's live together as one."

She put her hoof back and look at him with pleading eyes.

"I…" The prince looks at her and then at his hoof which starts to tremble. "I want to do it…but I can't."

Luna's expression turns into one of hurt. "Do you hate us that much?"

"Of course not! Luna what you have given me, even if short, has to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. I don't want that to end"

"Then what is stopping you?"

"The potion, I want to be loved by you, princess. I really want to just let it go. But, if I don't at the very least confirm it, if I don't at least try it once, I would never be able to live with myself knowing that maybe another pony is trapped in his own body and I just took over his life."

The princess just sighs and closes her eyes. "If you complete this task, can I have your word that you will finish this quest?"

The prince nods "It's the only thing I ask, one final confirmation."

The princess keeps looking at him before closing her eyes. "Then so be it." She makes her horn shine and before the prince realised what was happening he awoke again. This time, however, the princess of the night was waiting for him on the room with a golem made of stone in the shape of a human, and a vial with some purple substance in it. "For your mental health and because I'm worried you would continue to put yourself in danger if I don't, let's do your one last approach," She says, levitating the potion towards him, which surprises the prince as he looks back at her.

"How?"

"I kept my distance, believing that you wanted to gather the materials alone, and later on, you would just ask for help for the most difficult ones." She explains in a stern tone. "You only needed to ask me _ONCE_, and I would have gladly brought them to you. I have a whole cabinet full of ingredients ready for nearly anything, for pony's sake!"

The prince blushes and looks down. "Ok, now I feel like a fool."

"Did you ever think about where you would even put your soul afterwards?" She says pointing at the golem.

The prince just kept quiet at the statement.

"Then, now you can really feel like a fool," She added. The prince nods and then lifts his hoof, but the princess retracts the potion "And I mean it, nephew, this is the last time. You have your confirmation and once you are satisfied, I don't want to hear any more talks about you being a possession, you hear me? You will accept things as they are and let yourself be a part of this family"

"Will do, Pr…"

She glares at him in frustration.

"…ah, I mean A-aunt Luna"

"That's better." She gives the potion back. "Let's put an end to this." She mentions and after a nod the prince gulp the content of the glass as fast as he can, almost gagging from the flavor more than once, until it was empty.

"Boy, that really tasted bad." He mentions as he looks at the glass. "So how long until it takes effect?" He asks but when he look up, Luna was frozen in place and she, as well as everything else, was now in monochromatic black and white, including him. Not only that but he also noticed that he was no longer injured and his entire body looked slightly foggy.

_Ok, this is definitely weird_

He tried to stand up and go to the golem, thinking it will just phase through him like a ghost, yet Blueblood discovered his body was still solid and couldn't enter the puppet.

"~That is not going to work~" A female voice echoed in the distance in a sing-song manner, surprising the prince, and when he looked up, he discovers that there was no roof, only an endless darkness connected by four walls that just kept extending until being swallowed by it.

"Who is there?" The prince looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, yet only heard more giggles. Those sounds continued as a hooded figure emerged from the shadows in the distance, far away from the prince's gaze.

"Next chapter will feature me!" The creature says looking behind her.


	19. Meeting With An Endless

**Meeting With An Endless**

After being startled by the mysterious voice, the prince kept looking around his surroundings in search of its origins, yet there was no sign of anyone being there. Not only that, but the walls kept moving away from him until they were being consumed by the darkness, leaving him in a football stadium sized room with Luna and the golem, as the voice kept giggling.

"Well I have to say, this is the first time a soul has shown concern for what happened to the previous user of their new body. Consider me impressed, and that is something harder to achieve than you think!" The voice was heard again, this time coming from behind the prince, yet when he turned around he didn't find anyone there.

"Show yourself!" The prince screamed at the strange voice on the wind in anger.

"...Oh no, you have to guest who am I fiiiiiirst." The voice teased, echoing everywhere.

"What?" Blueblood was more than confused by the voice's response, yet now that he could hear it again something about it seemed familiar.

"Come on, it will be fun! I don't usually have this kind of gathering, so I want to enjoy the occasion." The voice said in a playful matter. "Now think hard. You drank a potion designed to move spirits, so who is in charge of moving them in the first place?"

Blueblood stops and thinks hard about the voice specifically, as he could start to see a silhouette hiding on the dark. Squinting his eyes, he tried to focus better until he saw a hooded figure with a bumbling mane style "Pinkie…Pie?"

The voice just starts laughing and shakes her head as it stepped out of the shadows so he could see her more clearly. "No silly, guess again, think carefully. Here's a clue, I'm the mare that always arrives for the after party." The figure told him. Once exposed, he could see a mare that looks and sound just like Pinkie Pie, but with fur as white as a ghost and mane as black as the darkness around her. She was wearing a black sports hoodie, and there were three chibi skulls for a cutie mark instead of the usual balloons.

"Wait a minute…are you…Lady Death?"

"That's it!" The mare rushed to him immediately revealing her face, which looked just like Pinkie, with the exception that the iris' of her eyes were reversed, and she had a black skull painted on her face making her look like she just arrived from a Day of the Dead party. "But you can just call me Death, or just D if you want, no need for you to be so formal about it," She told before laughing "Oh this was fun, right?"

"Wait, if you are Death, then does that means that I…?" The prince points at himself with fear, catching Death attention.

"What? Oh no, no, no, no, prince, do not worry, it's not that, I'm not here to pick you up." She said, shaking her hooves and head rapidly in fear before relaxing. "There is a lot more party for you before I take you to the _after_ party," She said with a grin, then lightly bumped his side. "But I can tell you this, a lot of mares want to meet you there, now that you are a changed prince, eh? You stud, you." She mentions, wiggling her eyebrows.  
"Now then for a explanation, this is not even the soul realm, it's kind of like a neutral area where souls and living beings can chat. A lot of necromancers used it when they liked to talk with their dead relatives." Death explained with a smile before becoming more serious. "But that, as well as your time of death, can wait. Right now, we need to talk." She then puts her hoof on his mouth.

"And before you ask yes, I know that I don't look like the idea you have when it comes to Death or the 'Grim Reaper,'" She said, making air quotes with her other hoof, "As he likes to call himself, but please don't pair me with that grumpy old sack of bones, okay?" She grumbled in frustration, and removed her hoof.

"Wait, he and you are different deaths?"

"That's right!" She said with a smile.

"There are more than one?"

"Well duh," She said, lightly hitting her face, "Infinite universes, infinite iterations, infinite worlds. Of course there's more than one Death. Just one trying to manage all the world's souls would be just murder, no pun intended." She said with a giggle.  
"But yeah, in your world Mr.'I'm too stiff and grumpy to let other spirits have their fun' is in charge of the souls that arrive. While in here I'm the soul of the party." She told him literally glowing like a light bulb for a brief moment. "In fact, I might have been the reason that expression exists in the first place."

"I have…so many questions." Blueblood said, utterly perplexed on how she acts and moves, which only made her giggle more.

"Oh they all do at first when they see me, but to help you a little, just think of it like this. Dying is nothing more than the end of suffering, of limitation…and of course of mortality."

The prince noticed that they are now in a cloud.

"Wait, how do we end up here?"

"...Erm, end of logic is included too." Death said with some embarrassment as they are back in the hospital room.  
"But most importantly, it marks the end of pain, and I'm just the mare that guides their souls to the best party they ever have had before moving onto their next adventure. The fact that you are dead doesn't mean that you don't need to stop having fun, right?"

"But what about the loved ones that you leave behind?"

Death turns to mist and appears to the left of the prince. "Why do you think ghosts exist in the first place? The reason ponies are scared of them is because of trolls that took a prank way too far." She said in irritation. "Often times they just want to come for a quick visit, and plus they save a seat for them when I arrive so they can have a chat with then and have even more family members that have passed while they're waiting."

"And those that like to fight?"

"Ever heard of Valhalla?"

"What about the vengeful ones? Or the ones that have some unfinished business?"

"We all pack our things at different pace Blueblood. I'm a mare that likes things to be fair, so if someone was mean to you while living I say, they deserve one little scare here and there. After that, we're good to go."

"Okay, what about the wicked ones or those that were just downright evil while living?"

"Oh I don't deal with those," She said with a dismissive hoof wave. "But yeah, Tartarus is for them. So, you see? Contrary to what Grimmy said, death is not all about sorrow and sadness, it's moving on to the next stage in your existance. And I can tell you, the book of everyone is bigger than Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories. So before turning the page, why not celebrate that you're ready to do so?"

"Let me guess, you're in charge of the party?"

"Not even close! I'm the DJ. Here, take one of my cards." She said making an exaggerated bow and passed him a presentation card that read;

_Death, Big D., Collector of Souls extraordinaire,_  
_Eight-time chess world champion,_  
_DJ _

"What's this about chess?" he asked.

"People kept challenging me to save their soul. After a few hundred-thousand games I got really good and went on tour."

The prince once more had a hard time processing everything. Finally he just shook his head.

"What do they pay you?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

Death just looked at him surprise before bursting into laughter, falling onto the ground with tears on her eyes. "Pay me? Oh, that's a good one! Oh Blueblood, you really got me there." She giggled, standing up and wiping away her tears. "I knew I made the right choice giving you this body."

The prince's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed hold of Death's shoulders. "Wait, you're the reason I ended up as a pony in Equestria?"

"Well duh, the mover of spirits, remember?" She said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides you had an unfinished business to deal with. 'Start again' right? That means reincarnation."

"But, the prince, the original prince…." he asked in worry.

"That brat? His life ended way before you took over," She said, playing with her mane as her body phased through his hooves like a ghost for a few moments.

"He what?!" The prince screamed at her ear, making her flinch in pain and, for a brief second, transform into mist again before returning to normal.

"Ouch, please prince. I'm dead, not deaf," Death said, cleaning one of her ears.

"Sorry, but I…why? How did this happen?" He asked in surprise.

Looking at his face, Death glanced at him in confusion before finally grinning, slowly approaching him. "Would you like to see what happened?"

Blueblood was too in shock to notice her strange behavior, so he just nodded. "Yes, please show me."

"Great, then eat this mint and close your eyes." She proclaimed, taking a box of tic tacs from her mane and lifting one of his hooves, giving him a pill. The action manages to calm him down a bit as Blueblood looks at the candy. "Are you serious?"

"Don't think, just do. Time may not flow the same way in here as it does in the waking world but it's not infinite and our time is almost up!" She exclaimed.

The prince getting scared, nodded before eating the mint and closing his eyes.

"Good, now keep them closed until I tell you to open them." Death said, and the prince hears things rumbling near him, and how Death seemed to smack her lips together a couple of times.

"Ah Death, what is happening?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. No peeking." She joked.

With a mental roll of his eyes, the prince just decided to let her do whatever she needed to do, waiting patiently to see what Death had in store.

"Okay, you ready?"

"Ready."

"In that case, open them…NOW!" She screams, and the moment the prince opened his eyes Death planted a kiss right onto his mouth that caught him off guard, leaving him breathless immediately. Not only that, but the moment their lips connected, everything around the two moved at light speed until they found themselves in some kind of vortex made of light, only stopping once Death had ended the kiss.

Gasping for air, the prince backed away and held his chest in surprise, looking at her in shock. "What the hell…was that?"

"A kiss at the speed of light, one that moves you through time and space!" She said in pride before looking behind her. "I challenge any of you top that." She proclaims with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, who are you talking to?" The prince asked, confused by her action.

"Doesn't matter." She quickly said, looking at him with a smile. "Anyway, here we are." She announced and it was now that the prince saw that both of them were transparent and floating in some kind of swamp. For how dark the water looked made out of petroleum, and there didn't seem to be a day or a night, just utter and pure darkness around them.

Trees were rising from the water, the tops impossible to see as they were swallowed into the void. Light blue luminous figures were wandering around the place, almost all of them converging on the same point in the distance. A kind of pyramid where a white spotlight at the top was illuminating the entire scene.

"And what, or rather where exactly are we now?" The prince asked, looking around.

"From Equestria's perspective, we call it 'the Soul Road' or 'The Void Lake'. From your world it has other names: Hellhight, The Styx River, Purgatory, and others. I just call it the dark swamp for obvious reasons." She explained calmly. "No matter the universe, species or world when someone dies, they always end up here." She then point at the light in the pyramid "You recognized it?"

"That is the famous light?"

"Oh you bet, the legendary light at the end of the tunnel, that beacon you to follow that takes you to me. You see, the experience of dying could be described as diving into an endless ocean where there is no light, everything is just darkness as your soul does the swimming for you. Once you pass the line of no return, this is your next destination as well as your first obstacle."

"Obstacle?" The prince looked back at her confused, and she nodded and pointed to a particular soul that emerged from the water. "The moment a soul comes here, there are only three options of what they can do: Stand up and start walking toward the light, just like a moth to the flame." The soul illustrates this by admiring the light and just going toward it. "Which is more than common, the light itself is particularly alluring."

Death then sighs in sadness and point at another soul that was just lying limp in the water. "Then there are those that die in sorrow and misery, and decide to abandon hope for what lies beyond…" To the prince's surprise, the soul stops shining and, from its chest, a dead tree rises and start growing at a slow and steady pace. "…and transform into something else."

"So these trees are…?"

"Yep, souls that refused to walk or just decided to let this be their final resting place. Not even I know what to make out of them. They are not alive, yet I don't think they can be considered dead either. All of these trees just keep growing after all." Death mentions looking around them with some intrigue.

The prince does the same, but mostly looked at the souls who fade away the moment they approach the light. "And what is the third option?"

"The wandering soul." She mentions before pointing at a soul that screams in rage before starting to dig in the water, its light turning from blue to red. "Be it revenge, unfinished business, or the desire to keep living, if you want to go back to your world, and your will is strong enough, you will go back." She mentions, as the soul dove into the water and disappeared. "Even if it looks like it, this swamp doesn't actually have a bottom. You can only walk here because you accepted your own death."

"I see," The prince tells before sighing "Death, this is interesting and everything but why are you showing me this? What does any of this have to do with what happened to the other Blueblood?"

"Watch and see, this place exists outside of reality and time itself, and one of the advantages of being me is that I can show you this." She said before prancing in the air, Death descending until she sat next to a soul kneeling in the water in sorrow. A particular soul that even being a shiny silhouette, somehow was recognized by the prince immediately as his eyes widened in complete shock.

"Your highness, meet your soul."

"But this is…how?" He said, pointing at it and then at himself. "I still have my soul with me, right?"

"Yep"

"But, how can I even recognize it?"

"It's like the effect of a mirror, they can easily trick you with a special one but you just accept your reflection. The same happens with souls. You just know, as for what you are seeing right now, remember what I say? Outside time, meaning…." Death made a circular motion with her hoof, encouraging him to finish the sentence.

"That you didn't just bring me here, you took me to the moment after I died," He said slowly, realizing what was happening.

"That's right!" She cheers in genuine happiness "Wow, two for two, prince. You are on fire, but not as much as your predecessor is going to be soon enough." She said with a giggle.

"What do you mean?"

"Watch and see." She turns to mist and then appears next to him as they see how the human soul soon takes notices of the light that catches his attention and is mesmerized by it. Like the other, he too is about to stand up and go after it when another soul, an equine one, just shoves him to the side and runs toward it.

"Out of my way peasant!" Immediately the human prince recognized his own voice coming from the pony that just pushed him down. "And there goes old Blueblood."

"If he's a soul now, how was he still be able to talk?"

"Souls are like a copy of yourself, prince. If you really love something with passion it will linger. And that old version of you _really_ loved to hear his own voice so…"

"Oh," The prince nodded in understanding as the pony kept running like a madman. Probably not even knowing what was happening. "I don't know what that thing is, but its mine! You hear me? Mine! Such precious light can only belong to those of royalty, peasants have no need for such beauty, I'm the only one that can admire it, so it must be mine."

The moment he gets too close to the pyramid the pony soul simply combusted into a golden fire before being swallowed by the lake, which scared both the soul and transparent prince.

"Did he just…"

"Spontaneously burst into flames? Oh yeah." Death answered him.

"So that is what you meant when you said that you don't deal with the wicked ones?"

"Exactly. This place knows very well who is tainted and who isn't, and ooooh boy that prince was just downright evil. So, I say it was just a matter of time before a pony just ends his life, and afterwards its Tartarus for him, where it's no longer my problem." Death mentions, waving at the old prince. "Bye, mean and obnoxious version of Prince Blueblood". She then looks back at the human soul. "And hi to the new and better prince."

She waves at him as the soul starts to back away in fear before turning around and running in the opposite direction.

"What is he doing?" The prince asked in fear.

"You mean what are **YOU** doing? I would say running away from the deadly light after witnessing how it incinerated someone the moment it got close enough." Death said chewing an apple. The prince looked at her in both surprise and confusion with how relaxed she was while talking. She just raises an eyebrow and offers the fruit "Want a bite?"

Blueblood shakes his head before looking back the soul in surprise and then anger. "You mean to tell me that because of that prince I became a wandering soul?"

Death throws the fruit away, which just disappears like a mirage as they follow the human soul. "That sums it up, but this time you can't be all that mad at him. It's just like you, old Blueblood didn't know he was dead. He couldn't know that he condemned a soul, he was just greedy."

They both sense a tremor and when they look back from the light a gigantic skeleton hand emerges and start to approach the human's soul. The prince falls on his butt from the fear as Death just roll her eyes in annoyance. "And there goes Grimmy being dramatic, and stiff again."

"What…what is he going to do to me?"

"What we're about to do." Death points behind her, and he saw how a portal appeared in front of the human soul, her own version just beaconing the human to step in. Fearing for the approaching hand, the human just complies and step inside before the hand reaches it and Death just shows her tongue at the hand before waving at her transparent self, and then just disappeared in a poof of smoke. The skeleton makes his hand into a fist and shakes it in anger before retracting back into the light.

"To answer, why did you specifically end up as Blueblood? It was because both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia made a wish for a new start. They wanted to have a nice and kind nephew, and when ponies who are pretty close to being gods made a wish, the magic behind it can be pretty powerful." Death said with a smile as she helps him stand up, and they soon go back to the hospital room with a burst of smoke.

"The energy behind it was already targeting your predecessor when he died, it might have brought him back. Instead, it found you and, when I saw how your life was, I said to myself..."

She split in two and literally began to talk with herself. "We should do something."

"Oh I know, let's take him with us and make the royals wish come true with him!" The other Death offered.

"Wouldn't that piss off the grim reaper of his world?"

"You bet it will."

And then the two start to laugh as they merge into one once more. "Oh, if only I could have seen the face of Grimmy when I took you outside of his territory. That would have been perfect."

The prince just approached Luna in shame. "All this time, the fear and wariness that I was having. It was just for nothing" He said, lightly nuzzling her side. "And I just keep hurting those that just wanted to help me."

"Hey, don't feel too bad." Death approaches and grabbed his shoulder. "You were just a very nice person, too nice for your own good in fact."

"What?"

Death appeared in front of him. "All your life you just keep putting the needs of everyone before yourself. That's why your father had you under his thumb. You had been a doormat all your life." She mentioned in disappointment. "And being unable to accept this gift has not only hurt me, it has hurt them, too," She tells pointing at Luna.

"I'm really sorry Death, I didn't mean to."

"You want to make things right? Then just, for the love of the stars, stop apologizing so much and just live like you want!" She exclaimed with exasperation. "Life is a party and you are just sulking in the corner. Come on, smile a little and don't be afraid to have fun, let Equestria know who Blueblood really is." She mentions as his body started to fade away.

The prince thinks over her words and nodded with a smile. "I will Death, I swear that I won't be a doormat anymore, this time I'm going to live life just like I always wanted!"

"Now that's what I wanted to hear!" She said with excitement, as her body glows again. "This is the Blueblood I wanted to see since day one, now go out there and make me proud." She said to him, coaching him like he's about to enter a boxing match.

"Will do, Death."

"Please, call me D." She said as she waved goodbye. "Oh and once you are back, can you do me a small favor? Tell Discord that D is ready to cash that favor he owes me." She shouted as the color of everything start to return.

"Discord?" Blueblood ask with a raised eyebrow.

"You will see him soon enough, believe me, he's impossible to miss. okay bye!" She yells before fading into darkness.

With a gasp, the prince opens his eyes and finds himself, once more, in the hospital with his injuries and Luna looking back at him. "Did you find your answer?" She asks hopefully.

"I did," He said with a nod before standing up and rushing to her side.

"Nephew, your injuries!" The monarch yells in fear before being surprised by a tackle hug from him. "Thank you for helping me find peace. I love you Aunt Luna." He said nuzzling her chest affectionately.

The princess is taken aback, but then she just returns the gesture with a smile. "I love you too."


	20. To Begin Again

**To Begin Again**

The trip back to the castle was eerily silent. Ever since he woke up, the prince didn't want to do anything but to follow D's advice and just embrace his new family as he wanted to. Yet even when he showed more affection toward his aunt Celestia, Blueblood couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, especially since she and the other elements seemed to be distant from him.

Not in hatred or fear, but more of concern. Well, all minus Rarity who was resorting to simply gives him the cold shoulder for some reason. The prince wanted to ask what was happening, but the moment his aunt told him that they needed to talk, he knew that it was something serious. Wanting to keep it private, he just kept quiet and compiled as he was discharged from the hospital, then saying goodbye to Thorax and Spike. They both excused themselves saying that they needed to take care of some important business and would come back later on. Since using magic was still dangerous for his health, and somehow Blueblood was still incognito, Twilight and Celestia resorted to using a magic special bubble that created a mirage around him, making him look like a colt to any pony that sees him. All that and the occasional glances that Princess Celestia keeps giving Blueblood were enough to make the whole walk rather tense.

The moment they entered the castle and the funhouse spell was lifted, the prince was guided to the living room where Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor were already waiting from him, and the chairs of the room rearranged to form a circle.

_Oh boy, I think I know where this is going..._

"Ah…is this some kind of intervention?" The prince asked, faking confusion as he looked back at the group, who all simply went and took a seat, leaving the couch for him.

"It is, nephew." Princess Celestia told him with a nod as she remained by his side. "Please take a seat."

The prince keeped looking back at her confused for a while before finally doing as she said. The princess took a seat next to him in the process.

"Ok so, what is this all about?" The prince asked, looking around the room.

"Before we begin, we just want you to know that everyone here loves you Blueblood." Celestia told him.

"And we are concerned for your well being." Twilight continues.

"That is why, if there is something that you would like to tell us, we will be more than willing to listen cousin." Cadence said with a smile placing a hoof in her chest. "Aunt Celly and I have been talking with the others and they told us that you might have…experienced something bad." Her expression turned to concern. "So please help us remove our fears and tell us. Is there something you want to talk about?" She asked him with a small smile as all eyes landed on the prince.

Blueblood's eyes widened in surprise at the question.

_They know? How? I was very careful about hiding it, when did they find…_ The Prince shook his head and closed his eyes. _No, no more lying! Time to come clean._

The prince sighed and opened them again before looking at everyone "Actually, there is something that I need to get off my chest." He mentions with a sigh. All the princesses and Starlight smiled a little in content. "Unfortunately, it's something kind of hard to explain..." He mentioned, looking unsure.

"There is nothing to worry about Blueblood, you can trust us." Starlight reassurance him with a smile. "Whatever it is that you want to tell us, we'll believe you."

"Plus you have me on your side, dear nephew." Luna told him with a smile ."You have my word that I will back you up."

"Thanks, aunty," He told her with a smile. Her words helped him relax more as he took a depth breath and weighed his thoughts, trying to find how to start his story. "I don't know how much you know already, or even if you suspect it. So I'm just going to come up and say it. Almost a week ago, I had a…" He thought hard not if he should tell the truth or not, but rather, how to describe his current situation. "…a close encounter with my own death." He finally mentions, earning a collecting of gasp throws out the room. "No, it was more than that." He said, shaking his head, before looking at everyone in complete seriousness. "I, Prince Blueblood, for a very brief period of time, actually died and then came back to life."

"Wha…What?!" Celestia yelled in alarm and Luna had to calm her down before she took off from the shock. "Sister, please calm down, and let our nephew explain."

Celestia looked back at her. "We promised that we'd listen, didn't we?"

After recovering a little, Princess Celestia nodded and after taking some deep breaths managed to sit down. "Please continue nephew". Luna encouraged him with a wave of her hoof.

"Yeah please explain, because ever since they told me about it this, I've been having a hard time believing that you actually died." Dash explained, rather confused.

"Wait, you knew?" Blueblood asked perplexedly, as Twilight nods.

"We all had our suspicious at first."

"I can tell when someone is afraid sugar cube," AJ told him with a smile, "And when we met at the farm you looked like you just saw a ghost, something that by no means was easy. With all that fur of yours, I almost didn't notice how pale you were." AJ said with a small chuckle.

"Also before going out for ice-cream, you clearly looked like you just cried." Twilight pointed out.

"And ever since the garden I have been having this feeling that you have been holding something back." Cadence chimed in.

"We all had our suspicions but it was Fluttershy who helped us understand." Twilight said.

"Really?" The prince looked at her and she just nodded.

"My little animals friends can sense when a pony is about to, had an experience, or apparently in your case come back from dying." Fluttershy explains as Owlowiscious flew in and landed on one of the chairs near the sofa next to Blueblood. "To them, you feel like a loved one that has returned. That is why all of them are and probably will always be so friendly toward you." She explains as Owlowiscious nuzzled his face.

"So that is why? I was kind of wondering why animals loved me so much recently..." The prince said with a small chuckle before resuming his story. "But you are right, I found out not too long ago and well, that kind of revelation is kind of scary so, I didn't want to tell you at first."

"I still don't understand." Celestia mentioned in worry. "How did this happen?"

The prince just shook his head at that reply. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer for that one. When I realized what was happening, I was already on the Soul Road." He said with a sigh.

"I can confirm it sister." Luna mentions looking back at Celestia. "I don't know all the details but when I explored his mind, his memories showed me his experience there. All of what he is saying is the truth." Luna said.

"Wait you knew?" Celestia looked back at her in anger. "And you never told me?"

"Our nephew was scared and needed to clear his mind," She defended herself, "I was confident that he would tell us as soon as he was ready."

"But you could have trusted me..." Celestia told them with a hurt expression, making the prince sigh and look down in shame.

"I was scared, I thought that if you knew the truth, you would destroy me."

"What?!" Celestia yelled in surprise. "Why would I do something so horrible?"

"Sister please!" Luna tried to calm her down. "Let him finish" She pleaded.

"There is more?!" She looks back at Luna in shock.

The prince nodded with his eyes closed before addressing everyone in the room again. "Unfortunately, this is where things get more complicated and I need you all to promise…no to swear to me, that you will believe me." He mentioned with a small glare. "Because as strange as this going to sound .SERIOUS" He said, marking the final words with a clap of his hoof.

The others look back at Applejack that looks back at them "He's being serious." She confirmed with a nod.

"Is this by chance related to why you have lingering body memories that weren't there before?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, and the prince nodded.

"You see, right now I'm the Prince of Canterlot, Blueblood, but in my previous life, I was known as Albert Vasilios, a being from another universe know as humans." He mentioned, and closed his eyes as there was a synchronized row of gasp on the room.

"Wait so you are telling us that you came from the world that Sunset told us about?" The voice of Twilight made him open his eyes and jerk his head upwards immediately. "Wait, what?! You…you know what a human is?" He asked in complete and utter shock.

"That can wait for later, right now we are talking about you, and how did you end up with a human soul?" Twilight asked confused at the revelation.

"A-Are you, s-some kind of ghost?" Fluttershy wondered, starting to get frightened.

"See?" He said pointing at her. "Right there, that is exactly why I was so wary of telling you about this." He mentions with some irritation, making Fluttershy whimper and back away at his reaction.

"Nephew please calm down." Luna told him.

"Well, what were you expecting us to believe after hearing that?" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hoofs. "If you are telling the truth and you are a human, how come you end up in that body?"

"And more importantly, where is the original Blueblood?" Cadence asked with a raised eyebrow.

The prince just sighed and put his hoof down. "That is the only thing I don't know, the only thing I know for sure is that he and I ended up in the Soul Road almost at the same time." He then looks at the princesses. "Then you made a wish toward a shooting star that was aiming at him, yet instead of its original target, it found me, and in doing so, brought me back to life."

"And Blueblood?" Princess Celestia asked in worry, yet her fears were confirmed once he shook his head in shame "I'm sorry aunty, everything happen so fast, but the last time I saw him, he…" The prince closed his eyes at the memory, which was still fresh on his mind "…got too close to the light, and was engulfed in flames before disappearing."

The room stays quiet at the revelation. No one really knowing what to say or think about it, until the prince tried to grab Celestia's hoof. "Aunt Celestia I…" She just retracted her hoof and stood up before trotting out of the room.

"Tia wait." Luna said, giving chase, Cadence also following in worry shortly after.

Twilight stood up and is about to do the same when she stopped and look back at the prince, who just kept looking down in shame before looking at the rest of the group. "You should go after her as well."

"Agreed, let's go." Twilight said, beaconing to the others to follow, yet Blueblood remained seated.

"What are you waiting for Blueblood? Let's go."

He simple shook his head. "Right now I'm the last pony my aunt wants to see, to her I'm just a reminder of how she lost a relative and got replaced by someone else."

"Cousin..." Twilight tried to reach him with her hoof but he simple backed away with his eyes closed. "Just go. I need a minute to process everything as well". He looks back at her. "Alone."

Twilight retracted her hoof, and after a sigh reluctantly agreed and left him alone in the room with just the pet owl.

_It's done_ The prince looked back at a picture of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on a coffee table . _It's all in the open now, the only thing left is to wait and hope for the best_

The owl came back and nuzzled him again, trying to make him feel better as the prince just pet his head in thanks.

In one of Twilight empty rooms

After checking that no one was using the room, the monarch of the day entered, closing the curtains and locking the door before kneeling in front of the bed, finally letting go of her mask to whimper and cry. Memories of the good times she spent with her nephew flashed in her head, as painful reminders of her failures and how, despite how hard she tried, she made a monster. Now she will have to live knowing that her blood relative ended up in Tartarus because of her. Fears of being hunted now shake her whole body in a cold sweat, as the shame continue to drown her, the memories feeling like hot knives that pierced her heart.

"Tia what are you doing?" Luna asked her, now standing behind Celestria, the door now destroyed thanks to a magic blast.

"Luna?" Celestia asked, looking at her in surprise "How did you found me?"

"Come on Tia, even if we are not twins, I can always know where you are, and that is not what matters now. Why did you run off?"

"Lulu..." Celestia looked back at the bed in shame. "Am I cursed? Is anypony I genuinely love destined to be tormented with suffering and pain?"

"What?" Luna asked in shock.

She snapped back at her. "I sent you to the moon, I constantly send Twilight to life-threatening missions, our family died because of me, and their last offspring is now gone forever because I did a lousy job raising him. He isn't even given eternal rest! As we speak, he is probably being tortured in Tartarus, and all of this is my own fault!" She said with tears in her eyes.

"Enough Tia!" Immediately Luna slapped her face, catching Celestia off guard. "For pony's sake, you also need to stop with this ridiculous blaming game." She said in anger before holding her shoulders. "What happened to the old version of our nephew wasn't your fault. You treated him with love and care, and even if he was spoiled, in the end the decision to turn into an inconsiderate, self-centered and manipulative brat was and always will be _HIS_ choice. He picked that road and no-pony else made it for him. Not me, not the nobles and especially not you. It was **HE** alone who made the choice, and now he must live and die with the consequences of it."

"But Luna…"

"But nothing. Yes I know, it's sad that he ended up like this, and justice must be served to whoever ended his life, but right now you are being extremely insensitive sister!" She mentioned, stepping back and pointing to the wrecked door frame. "Out there, there's a poor scared soul, one that has to suffer just as much as we did about his previous life, and you are ignoring him just because you can't stop blaming yourself for the mistakes of others!"

"What?" Celestia asked in alarm.

"It's not my place to tell you Tia." Luna mentioned, looking down. "It's his story ,and he has the right to tell it. But I can tell you this; just like us, the only thing he wanted was to start anew, and it took a lot of coaching and a chat with the personification of death itself for him to let go of his fears and let himself be happy. And I would be damned if I'm going to let you ruin that chance for him." Luna told her, letting Celestia go.

"But…what happened to our nephew…."

"It already happened." Luna remarked "And as crude as it sounds, there is nothing else we can do other than move on." Luna smiled and offered her hoof to her sister ."It might have not be like we wanted, but this is still our wish Tia, we made this happen, and that boy deserves a chance. Please, sister, lets be a family once more. I'm not trying to say that we should completely forget the other Blueblood; I'm saying that even if the soul is different, that pony right there is still our dear nephew and he needs both of us more than ever. So please, I beg you, don't push him away, like you pushed me."

Celestia looked at her hoof and nodded, before taking Luna's hoof to bring her sister into a hug. "You are right Lulu, even if it's sad, we shouldn't dwell on the past anymore. Our nephew needs us just as much as we need him."

"You especially." Luna remarked. "I already had my heart to heart with him."

"Yeah..." Celestia ended the hug and give her sister a small glare. "We are going to need to talk about that too later on."

Luna just chuckle and shrugged. "You snooze you lose sister."

"You control the dream realm!"

"My point exactly."

Celestia is about to continue bickering when the voice of Cadence caught their attention. "Aunt Celestia?" She asked from the entrance, as the rest of the elements walked in with her, all who had worried expressions. Twilight was particularly confused yet surprised, seeing how the door was destroyed. "Are you ok?"

Celestia smiled, and ending the hug addressed everyone in the room. "Yes I'm fine now niece, I apologize for my earlier outburst."

"Ah, it's ok princess, we get it." AJ mentioned. "Family is family right, it always hurts seeing someone go."

"Even if that someone is an inconsiderate, egotistical, rude, petulant…" Rarity started to rant until she sees everyone staring at her "…right, not the time, sorry" She mentioned with a small blush.

"What we are trying to say here is that this is kind of a bittersweet moment, it's sad that his old version died, but at the same time he kind of came back too…sort of, and he is nice and wanting to be a better pony" Cadence said with a smile

"Yeah! So instead of being sad that a bad pony died, we should celebrate that a very nice one arrived!" Pinkie suggested.

"Erm, I would hold off on that last part for a while Pinkie..." Dash suggested "You know? Maybe after this whole thing stops being weird?"

"Okie dokie!" Pinkie quickly said with a smile.

"Plus there is still so much more that I need to ask." Starlight mentioned. "I mean with all that just happened, we didn't even ask his story, or how he died or anything of his previous life." She said with some intrigue. "And he must have had a very active life if he knew how to make flips like those..."

"It is indeed a very,…interesting story." Luna comments looking away. "But it's best if he tells it himself."

Celestia looked at the group with some confusion. "And where is he now?"

Twilight just sighed and looked down. "He decided to stay in the living room princess," She said in sadness, "He thought that you wouldn't want to see him at the moment after what happened."

"Oh…I see..." The princess said as Luna gave her a small glare.

"In that case, I should go and clean the mess I created." She mentioned as she stepped out of the room.

"Yes, you should." Luna whispered as she and the rest of the group followed suit.

Back in the library

In an attempt to distract himself from the tension, the prince resorted to look around the books on the bookshelf, trying to find something to read, stopping occasionally at a title he found interesting. Yet when trying to use a spell, the dampening ring acted up, stopping his attempt and give him a wave of itchiness at the base of his horn.

_Stupid magic dampening ring_

The prince cursed internally while scratching his horn, finally resorting to using his teeth to pull out the book, resulting in a bunch falling on top of him. As he steps out from the pile, he flinched and closed his eyes, almost having to kneel in pain thanks to his injuries being touched.

Once recovered, he got quite spooked when Princess Celestia stepped into the room, looking at him with some worry, the rest of the group behind her looking at him as well.

"A…I mean princess..." Blueblood said, looking away. His words hitting hard on the monarch heart.

"Sorry for the mess, I'm still getting used to this no magic thing, don't worry I will clean…" Before he can pick a book the princess uses her magic and levitates them all back to their shelves. "…them up" The Prince finished, looking back at the shelf and then at the princess, who keeps staring at him.

"Look, princess, I understand how you must be mad at me right now. What happens to the prince was something really sad, and I'm sorry for your lost. By no means, I intend to replace him or anything. That would be insensitive, I just wanted to start once more as part of your family, but if you wish me to move out of the castle and just go away, I will do…" Before the prince could say anything more, he found himself brought into a big hug.

"Please forgive me" She said in between sniffles. "I did something horrible when I didn't realize how you must have felt, so please don't go." She tightened the hug. "I already felt the pain of losing a family member, please don't make me feel it again."

"I don't understand, aren't you mad at me for taking over your nephew's body?" Celestia steps back to look at him without ending the hug. "No matter how it happened, you are still my beloved nephew, and that is never going to change. I love you nephew" She tells him before resuming the hug.

Feeling a lot better, the prince doesn't have any problem in returning the gesture as everyone watched with teary eyes. "I love you too, Aunty Celly."

"…So do we just keep calling him Blueblood? Or…" Dash wondered making everyone look at her in confusion.

"What? I just want to avoid future confusion."

The prince just chuckled at that and shook his head "Blueblood is fine Dash, it kind of grew on me." He told them with a smile.


	21. New Arrangements, Old Laws

**New Arrangements, Old Laws**

"Thanks for helping me send all those letters, Spike." Thorax told him, as they both approached the castle, while Spike was munching on a ruby.

"No problem, Thorax. I imagine it was easier than mailing them the normal way." Spike said as he finished with his snack. "Plus, for how crazy everything has gone recently, I imagine that it's best to contact all those noble changelings as soon as possible."

Thorax nodded as they reached the door. "I just hope we can still pull off the plan. All of them really want to have a chance at being nobles again." He mentioned with some worry. "Some even told me that they found their cutie marks while pretending to be nobles..."

"Wow, that serious?"

Thorax nods again as they entered the castle. "That serious, so I'm hoping with the help of Blueblood this could be their big chance. I hate to think that all of this be for nothing in the end."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Spike said as he opened the door, but before they could enter someone called their attention from behind.

"Ah excuse me…?"

Looking behind them, Spike and Thorax turned and saw two slender and tall unicorn mares now in front of them. The one of the left, who had called them with a smile, had a short spike of two tones of red in her mane and tail that made it look like they were made of fire. Her fur was a light yellow colour, and she was wearing a golden necklace with a sun insignia on it, and her cutie mark had a lance inside a sun. Her companion, on the contrary, remained stoic as she looked at them. Her mane and tail were both long and dark purple with a celestial stream going through both, her fur being dark blue. She was also wearing a silver necklace with a moon insignia on it, and had some makeup on her face, her cutie mark showing a sword with a galaxy inside of it. Both mares looked particularly attractive, and at first glance, one could think they came from a model agency.

"Is this Princess Twilight's castle?" The yellow pony asked them, looking at the building.

"Well yeah, why? Do you need to talk to her?" Spike asked with a raised eye ridge.

"Not exactly..." The yellow unicorn told them. "We are here under the instructions of Princess Celestia." She explained to them, before looking to the side noticing the big golden chariot Celestia usually traveled with. "And that is clearly her chariot, so do you mind if we come in? If not, can you please tell her that Amber Lance and Stellar Cut, have arrived? Please?" Amber said, putting her hooves together and looking at them with puppy eyes.

Thorax and Spike can only blink a couple of times before looking at one another. "Ah well, why don't you come in and wait on the hallway while I go tell the princess'?" Spike suggested to them, making Amber smile and clap her hooves in happiness. "That would be great, thank you!" She mentioned as they both followed the two inside, Stellar remaining as stoic as ever the entire time.

Once they reached the dining room, both mares waited patiently at the entrance while the dragon and changeling went inside. There, they saw everyone sharing stories and laughing while enjoying of some tea on the table in the middle of the room. Particularly Blueblood, who was happily chatting with his cousin, and Twilight while she was hard at work writing everything he was telling on a parchment.

The scene was enough to make the dragon chuckle as they approached the group. "Looks like the intervention went better than I thought."

"Oh hi Spike, hi Thorax." Pinkie mentioned as she walked toward them. "Did you manage to do that secret business you told us about?" Pinkie asked with some intrigue, making the king chuckle.

"There was nothing secret about it Pinkie. I needed to send some letters to some of my subjects pretty quick, and Spike helped me out." He explained.

"Wait, wouldn't that have sent them to Princess Celestia instead?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Normally yeah, but I have been training my flames for the last couple of months." Spike mentioned with pride, "So now if I eat some gems and know the address, I can send the letter anywhere without a problem!" He mentioned before looking around. "By the way, have you seen Princess Celestia?"

"Oh yeah, she's over there talking with Starlight." She said, pointing to one of the chairs where Celestia, Luna and Starlight were talking.

"Thanks." Spike told her before approaching the princess.

"Princess Celestia?"

"Oh Spike, glad to see you again." She said looking back at him with a smile. "How did everything go?"

"Without any problem princess, the letter was sent." He said before looking at the entrance. "But something happened on our back here." He explained.

"Really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow "And what was it?"

"Well, two mares ask if they could come in, saying that you ask for them. I told them to wait in the hallway. They say that their names are Amber Lance and Stellar Cut, do you know them?" Spike mentioned.

Celestia clapped her hooves together in happiness. "Oh wonderful! They are here, yes Spike, I know them both, but please, bring them here."

"Understood." Spike nodded and went to fetch both mares.

Luna in the meanwhile look at her sister with a raised eyebrow "You asked for those two? Aren't you going a bit overboard dear sister?"

"Oh nonsense Luna. Amber and Stellar can use some vacation from their regular jobs. The fact that they are more than capable of taking care of Blueblood is just a very nice bonus." She said with a smile "Plus, they are the only two recruits available right now that fit…" She sighs in exasperation with a roll of her eyes "…_that_ law"

"Ah..." Luna nodded in understanding. "Now I understand."

Soon the mares entered the room and bowed to the princesses, before Celestia started the introductions. "Everypony, I would like you all to meet Amber Lance, and Stellar Cut. They are two of our best soldiers in the royal guard." The princess mentioned with pride. "And starting today Blueblood's personal bodyguards."

"It's an honor to protect the crown." Amber said, as she and Stellar bowed to the prince.

"Wait, what?!" Blueblood exclaimed in surprise as he approached his aunt.

"You thought I was joking when I said that I would place extra security on you?" She asked with a smug smile.

"Oh my Celestia! Is this for real?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, getting excited as he approached the two guards. "You…you really are Amber, the sun, and Stellar, the moon?!" He said, having a fangasm meltdown.

Amber just chuckled and looked away with a blush, much to the surprise and then annoyance of Shining's wife. "Oh boy, it has being a while since somepony called us that." She said in embarrassment.

"Ah, you know them, Big Bro?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you kidding Twilight?! Those two are _legends_ among the royal guards." He exclaimed before pointing at them. "I have never been able to meet them in person, but their reputation speaks volumes. They form part of one of the greatest units of all of Canterlot! One that made me want to enlist in the guard in the first place!"

"The celestial centurions." Amber said with pride. "The best special force the crown ever had." She told with a wink at Shining Armor. That act make Cadence's wings stiff and ruffled a little in a slightly primitive and threatening manner. "Would you like an autograph captain?" She mentions, finally breaking the stoic expression of Stellar who looked back at her companion in worry.

"Would I?" He then starts to think for a second. "Stay there for just a second I will be right back!" He said before teleporting away, Stellar then poking Amber in irritation, much to her annoyance.

"Oh just let it go Stellar, the guy is a fan, would it kill you to give him one autograph?" She starts to think before pointing at the prince.

"He is in the princess of friendship's castle, surrounded by four alicorns, plus the elements of harmony, the student of Princess Twilight, the king of the changelings and a dragon, please tell me, who could be so stupid as to attack him now?"

Stellar just sighed in defeat and decided to simply cross her hoofs.

"Wel…ok" Twilight looked at the display confused before approaching Stellar. "So, if I may ask, what exactly does a Celestial Centurion do?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, yet Stellar remained quiet. "Ah, hello?

"Oh don't mind Stellar, she is a mare of action rather than words." Amber told Twilight. "And to answer your question, we are a unit dedicated to ensuring peace on Equestria and are in charge of solving delicate problems that involve other nations."

_Ah so they are like the equivalent of the secret service…or the CIA? _

Blueblood pondered as he looked at them.

"Basically, missions that are too dangerous or require a lot of tact to avoid a war between nations is our specialty."

"Hey wait a minute!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew toward them. "If you deal with international missions, where were you during the Tirek attack? Or the changeling attack? Or King Storm's Attack?" She said pointing an accusing hoof at them.

"In that order, we were dealing with Tirek but we didn't have the means to stop him, and it was too risky for him to absorb our magic, plus Discord just kept popping him here and there so we couldn't react fast enough. Chrysalis had already infiltrated, and sent orders to keep us away during the wedding, making herself pass as Princess Mia Amore."

"Ah just Princess Cadence, please." Cadence said, lifting her hoof with some annoyance.

"My apologies, Princess Cadence." Amber said, giving her a small bow. "And while the Storm King was attacking Canterlot, we had to deal with his special monsters that he had launched at us. Golems made of crystal that turned even alicorns into stone. Do you remember those crystal balls? They produced it in their stomachs and then spit them out. So just imagine that kind of beast rampaging throughout Equestria without control. Their nature involves turning their preys into rocks before eating them." Amber answered back. "See Rainbow Dash? Perhaps you have had awesome adventures, but the world is just too big for you to have _ALL_of them, we just do the same you do, but on a more global scale." Amber finished.

"Fascinating..." Twilight mentioned. "And other nations are ok with that?"

Amber laughed at that. "Other nations have their own version of our unit, princess."

"What?" The elements surround the mares as they all had questions, while Blueblood took the opportunity to approach his aunts. "Ah, Aunt Celly?"

"Yes Blueblood?"

"Is not that I don't appreciate the gesture and all but, if they are so incredible, why are you ordering them to protect me?" He asked in confusion.

"I believed that protecting a prince is perfectly fine with their job description." Celestia said, "Plus they fit another…" She looked away in irritation "…_condition_ that is required by law."

"Huh?" The prince turned his head in confusion, making both princesses sigh.

"Royal decree #47, any member attached by bloodline to the royal family must be protected and escorted by a minimum of two guards…of the opposite sex." Luna said, facehoofing at the end.

"…who's qualities included; being in top physical health and beauty and at the time not being in any kind of romantic relationship." Celestia finished, mirroring Luna's gesture.

"That has to be some of the most stupidest conditions I have ever heard. Who wrote that? A horny teenager?"

"Exactly." Luna nods before pointing at the prince. "_YOUR_ horny past self, to be precise."

"Oh please tell me, I didn't?!" Blueblood mentioned, holding his head with both hoofs.

"I'm sorry, nephew." Luna tells placing her hoof on his shoulder. "It was your first time weaseling a law into reality." Luna said, glaring at Celestia. "And of course your aunt Celestia was too gullible at the time to see it until it was already too late."

"He was still pretty innocent! And I thought it was a joke. I really thought the paper he gave me was a fake one..." Celestia defend herself.

"And is there no way to remove that stupid condition?" The prince asked, hopeful but to his dismay the princesses just shook their heads. "It's a royal decree, it escapes even our power. The only way to abolish it, is with a unanimous vote from us, the Canterlot royal court and…" Luna eyes widened in realization as a smile slowly appeared on her face. "…you."

"Wait, so all I need to do is go and vote 'no' and we can change this weird law?"

"Yeah, we can do that Celestia." Luna said with a smile, her sister soon copying her expression.

"Perhaps Luna, Blueblood, so far, was the biggest reason that law was still in effect. We will have to change it as soon as we return to Canterlot."

"Why not now?" The prince asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The waiting period for a law to be erased or modified is three months, and during that time it can't be implemented."

"All the more reason we should do it now, don't you think? The longer we put it off, the longer we will have to wait!"

Princess Celestia just get closer to his face with a sly grin. "Nice try."

"Huh…." The prince just sighed in defeat and looked down.

Soon Shining Armor returned, this time carrying with him in no particular order; posters, comics, a sword with their cutie marks on it, as well as an ink bottle and a feather, all as he looked at the mares with hopeful smile. Amber grew a sly smile and pushed Stellar forward, before giving her the lead. Stellar just glared at her friend before shaking her head, proceeding to sigh all of the papers Shining keep given her. His wife put herself next to him, keeping an eye on both while unconsciously placing one of her wings on her husband back.

"It will only be until you recover nephew, and it could be good for them as well." Celestia mentioned. "Those two are kind of workaholics, and no matter how much I insist, they refuse to take some time off. So I believed that guarding you in a small town near Canterlot could help them relax for a change." She mentioned with a small smile.

"So you're telling me that you are also using my situation as an excuse for those two to get away from their regular jobs?"

Celestia nodded and look at him. "Two cakes in one bite. So do you think you could do that for me? Please?" She asked using her own puppy eyes on him.

The prince nodded. "Ok Auntie, for you."

"I knew I can count on you." She told with a big smile as she hugs him with one of her wings.

"Ah excuse me..." Thorax called for their attention. "Not that I like to interrupt this moment or anything but we still need to finish our plan."

"Oh right." Blueblood said, ending the hug and approaching the king. "I already sent the letters, and soon we'll get a reply. Do you still want us to address the meeting in Manehattan?"

The prince nodded. "We would need witnesses to collaborate my injuries." He said, looking at his hooves and then thinks. "Maybe some makeup for some small burn marks here and there..."

"What do you have in store nephew?" Luna asked in wonder, and the prince is about to answer when he paused, seeming worried about Amber and Stellar listening in. Luna noticed and smiles at him. "There is no need for you to worry, nephew. You can trust them. They already know about your condition."

That helps him relax and he nodded. "Ok, in that case, here is the plan. The first thing we need to do is…" Blueblood stops as he looks at Celestia, who looks at him with a playful smile.

"Ah, Aunty I don't know if you…"

"Please Blueblood, give us a chance. I can do this, and contrary to what others think…_Luna_" She says, glaring daggers at her sister. "Performing on a stage is far different than giving a public speech, something I have more than enough experience in."

Luna just sighed and shook her head. "Might as well let her try, nephew. She is telling the truth. Plus I have seen her take some extra classes, so I believe she has earned the right to try, at the very least."

"Well, ok then." Blueblood nodded and started again. "Then here is what I have in mind. During the meeting, a very bad accident will occur, and from it, a hero emerges..." He told them with a smile. "Here's how it'll play out..."

Later that day

After exchanging goodbyes and promising another visit in the future, all of the Royals went to the golden and big chariot headed to Canterlot, while the prince waved goodbye to all of them. Stellar and Amber were now on either side of him doing the same.

The moment he was out of the view, all of the Royals looked at their destination with serious expressions. "Starting an investigation will not be an easy task..." Luna comments.

"Indeed, just filling a report would force us to expose Blueblood's condition." Shining Armor mentioned before sighing. "If we wish to catch the killer, there is no choice but to place this investigation as top secret."

"We can't just stop there Shiny." Cadence mentioned in worry. "Whoever did this was a professional and planned for everything so as not to leave a trace. If they were aiming to just kill Blueblood, that leaves almost half of Canterlot as suspects. If the goal was the royal family, any of us could be next."

"Remain calm everypony." Celestia said with determination. "Panic would not help us. For now, we need to stay focused and act like everything is ok." She then looks at Shining Armor. "Captain Armor, can I trust you to search for clues in our nephew's room?"

"You can count on me, your highness," He replied with a salute.

"Thank you." She then looked at Cadence. "While that happens, we would have to subtly interview all of Blueblood's inner circles, and that is a long list. I can plan meetings with them but we will have to split the efforts between all of us."

"You can count on me aunty." Cadence said, her bringing her hoof to her chest.

"I have soldiers already spying on them, so it would just be a matter to change the order." Luna mentioned. "We will keep an eye on those shady nobles..."

"Thank you, Luna." Celestia then looked at Thorax. "King Thorax, I really appreciated all that you have been doing for us so far, but I'm afraid that there is yet another favor we need to ask of you."

"Say no more princess." Thorax said, lifting his hoof. "We are talking about a case of regicide here, and that is something really serious. Just say the word and I will dispatch some of my soldiers to impersonate any of you while this mess is solved. It's the last thing we can do for all your help on our hive." He told them with a smile.

"Thank you King Thorax, I give you my word that we will not forget this kindness." Celestia told him with a grateful smile.


	22. A Tale Of Heroism

**A Tale Of Heroism**

It was a calm morning in Canterlot when the news arrived. It started with a simple announcement from the guards requiring everypony to gather at the central plaza, followed by the activation of a projection crystal which promptly shot a clear image into the sky. Prince Blueblood quickly appeared, surrounded by reporters and standing on a podium. A collection of groans was soon heard everywhere as the citizens started to leave, believing this to be a waste of time. Yet their complains quickly died out once someone pointed out how instead of the smug smile the public was used to, the prince seemed to be more serious and calm like he had been thinking. Not only that, but his head was bandaged and his mane was slightly burned. Overall, it was clear that he was injured and at the moment appeared to be in Manehattan, something that just kept increasing the citizen's curiosity.

It was clear that this was not one of his usual smug speeches where he just stroked his own ego for hours, leaving the question to linger on the air; 'What did he want to talk about?'  
All around, mixed feelings began to blossom in the growing audience, some in happiness thinking karma finally struck, some in wonder, and some even in shock seeing their 'friend' reappearing, injured and beaten.

A few minutes earlier, at City Hall

"Five minutes your highness." A stallion wearing headphones and a clipboard informed the prince from the door frame before going away. The prince in question was in the middle of some breathing exercises, trying to keep calm as Princess Celestia walked inside.

"How are you feeling Blueblood?" She asked in a motherly tone, as she made her way towards him.

"Oh you know, just trying my best not to have a panic attack and make the story as convincing as possible." He told her with a nervous chuckle. "So…great, all things considered."

The princess just giggled and nuzzled his face ."You will be fine Blueblood, the story you came up with is really convincing, plus with those fake injuries on you and the information we delivered, there is no way any pony would suspect a thing after today."

"Perhaps, but then again I'm still a bit sad that we were forced to burn that entire building for this plan to work. I mean, I was just expecting a room to burn, not the entire thing."

"Ah wouldn't sweat it, partner," Applejack mentioned as she and Rarity made their way inside. "As I told you, my Uncle and Aunt Orange bought that thing years ago as a business experiment they tried. It never took off and was only bleeding them bits. Honestly, buying and then burning it down was a favor, the building was too old, so renovations would have cost a fortune, and, the new empty space can be used to build something better. Plus, with how it stands, Rarity and Coco Pommel had a reason to ask the pyrotechnics team in Manehattan to be more careful handling their equipment, right Rarity?" She told her friend, but she only stayed quiet looking to the side until Applejack jabbed her in the side.

"Yeah, thanks Blueblood." She mentioned in a cold tone, confusing the prince as Applejack just sighed and shook her head.

"Anyway, the point is, that there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm not usually the one that likes to make lies, but considering that this is to trick those stuck-up nobles who probably would sell their own moms for a bit, I'd say that I could make an exception this time." She said with a chuckle. "They sure are gonna get a surprise."

"That's the idea." Blueblood mentions with a smile, now more relaxed.

The stallion re-appeared once more. "We are ready, your highness."

Sighing one last time the prince looked at everyone. "That is my cue, wish me luck."

"You will do great Blueblood, don't worry." Celestia gave him one last nuzzle before letting him go.

The walk to the podium was tense, to say the least, as the prince could feel the eyes of everypony falling on him, judging him and rolling the eyes in expectation of the narcissist nature of his old self. A mix of anxiety and excitement was coursing through the prince's mind. With one single speech he was about to change his new home for the better, and that idea was enough to fill his being with resolve.

Once he reached his destination, both the press and the audience put all of their attention on him waiting for the worst. Instead, they were given a surprise.

"Citizens of Manehattan- no, rather, citizens of all of Equestria, thank you all for coming. The reason I gathered you all here is that I have an important message to deliver. A week ago I was contacted by my aunt for a proposition meeting with a generously large group of changelings, who even though were recently reformed still yearned for the sweet and luxurious life that we nobles have the blessing of living with."

A collective of groans was heard both in Manehattan and Canterlot, which was soon silenced by the prince as he told them the last thing they were expected. "Yeah I know, almost all of you must be sick and tired of nobles saying that." The prince almost flinched the moment he saw so many eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, and jaws dropping left and right in front of him.

_Ok, that is slightly disturbing_

"But in their defense, if any of you got to our position, I personally challenge you not to brag about it. You say you would be humble now, but trust me, once rich it's not so easy to avoid bragging." He mentioned, earning a couple of chuckles "Anyway, as much as I would love to continue to talk about it, that is not the reason I summoned all of you here, so let's continue. As you all might have guessed, I was against the idea of such proposal at first but, very soon realized the potential behind it. New creatures and assets for me to used and swear loyalty to me? How could I say 'no' the possibilities behind that?"

"That slimy silver tongue brat." Jet Set said, holding his hoof up in anger at the image of the prince. "By Tartarus! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Oh, you naughty little prince..." Scarlet mentioned with a smile "You bad boy, going away without telling me a thing? ~Some pony is playing hard to get~"

Upper Crust just sighed and look down. "So much for that theory of the prince having amnesia eh Sharp Shot?" She said, looking at her friend as he continued to look at the image in front of them.

"By Celestia, I was so shallow and heartless." The prince said in guilt shaking his head, before continuing. "Just like I had done before, I took this opportunity to seek subservients and amused myself as they crawled and begged for my help. I will confess to you right here and now, from the beginning I wasn't going to give any a single chance, perhaps not even the small group I deemed worth keeping. Yes I'm ashamed to admit it, but my actions during that meeting were less than friendly, but you can take solace…"

He stepped out from behind the podium so the ponies could see the full extension of his 'injuries' which even if not permanent were still many."…poetic justice was imparted that night." The audience wanted to boo and yell at the prince, but looking at his condition, they just couldn't find it in their heart to voice their opinions.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Rarity whispered harshly as she and Applejack were behind stage seeing everything unravel.

"They really are eating this up?"

"Rarity please shhh!" Applejack silenced her with a small glare. "I know you are not in his fan club but at the very least think of the changelings." Her friends begged her.

She bit her tongue and looked away. "I'm sorry for this Applejack but its Blueblood we are talking about, and he is getting his way once more."

"Rarity, he is not…" She stops herself before looking at the prince and then at her friend. "Can't we please not do this here?"

"Fine!" She snorted as she marched away.

"Rarity wait!" Applejack is about to go after her but ultimately sighed and let her go, thinking she only needs some air, while ignored a certain stallion in a suit looking at them both with a raised eyebrow.

The press didn't miss the chance, and Blueblood let the millions of photos be flashed of his body, resorting to close his eyes and letting them have as many as they want. When he heard them stop, he opened his eyes again and stood back to the podium to resume. "I don't know how the fire started in the first place, and to be honest I couldn't care less at the moment."

He held his head in sorrow. "My mind hasn't let me forget the events that transpired that night. Everything happened so fast, and like a coward, my first instinct was to run away to the nearest exit, not caring for the safety of my companions, and in my rush I ended up underneath a pile of stone and burning wood. Panic and flames were everywhere, and when I was about to curse all the changelings for letting me die, I was meet with an unexpected surprise."

The prince paused for tension, and saw how all of the audience subconsciously moved their heads forward, waiting for the end.

_Perfect, I got them exactly where I need them, time to bring it home_

"One of the changelings that I previously shamed and laughed at, returned to that hell until she came face to face with me. Not only that, she was one of the unlucky ones that got a particularly nasty bit of verbal abuse from me when I rejected her wishes to be one of the first changeling nobles, something that I could see she still remembered very clearly. It was a moment of revelation for me, and for the first time in my life I saw the consequences of my actions and the full extension of how much my words could hurt someone. Ashamed, the only thing I could do was look away. No pony or changeling would have said a thing, she could have easily walked away and let me die in that inferno. It would have been an accident, a clean, well deserved revenge. Instead, she choose to save my life. A changeling who I humiliated and gave a broken heart, against any logic or reason decided to save me. Prince Blueblood, the royal prick of Equestria."

Everyone gasped and more flashes go off as the press went nuts for his story. The prince kept a solemn and calm face as he closed his eyes in thought, remembering the events before looking at everyone again.

"No matter how much I try, that image remains in my head, even now. Even when I didn't show any friendship toward that changeling she still offered hers to me, and thanks to that, I could see the teachings that my aunt and cousins were so proud of in action. In the past I thought that the idea of friendship was just a cute slogan to attract allies or give false confidence to your enemies, but now, for the first time in my life I can see it's true power and the importance of it."

His expression turns into one of more determination. "Recently Twilight Sparkle open a school who welcomes all species wishing to learn about friendship, one of the most important values here in Equestria. Today I say that we must follow her example and let others join into our culture and ways of life." He looked to the side and extended his hoof. "And with that I want to welcome and officially introduce the first noble changelings of Canterlot." From backstage three changelings walked in, one green, another red, and another orange, all of them waving at the audience as they cheered, and the press went nuts at their appearance. Princess Celestia also appearing, carrying a medal with her.

"Jade, Temptress and Mirage" Blueblood said, pointing at them in order. "Great and passionate changelings who wish to join part of the world of jewellery, modelling and couples counselling of Canterlot." He said, pointing at Jade, Temptress and Mirage in that order, the last one confusing everyone and make the prince chuckle. "I will let Mirage explain soon enough, for now, I wish them and all the other families of changelings that want to join in, good luck." He told them with a smile before taking the medal in his own magic and thanking his aunt, before presenting it to Mirage. "Consider this as my personal thanks for saving my life and helping me realized my mistakes,"

"There is nothing to thank, your highness, I just did what any other would have done." She bowed and let the prince give her the medal before he brought her into a hug. "The press is going to eat you all alive very soon, you know that right?" He whispered into her ear with some worry, making her chuckle. "Let them try your highness, we are ready for them." Mirage whispered back confidently. "Thank you for giving us this chance."

"Anytime" Once the hug ended, he went and shook the hoof of the other changelings who smiled, and brought him in for a hug as well, and once finished the prince stood back. "I will let these lovely ladies answer any of your questions now. Oh and ladies, feel free to jab your husband's ribs now for staring at Tempress too much."

Much to the prince's surprise, those that didn't laugh actually did what he told them, as he left the stage and let the changelings be swarmed by the press, all of them dealing with it like professionals.

Once sure that no eyes were on him, the prince let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and kneeled on the ground from the pressure. "Oh god that was one terrifying experience..."

"It's not so easy right?" Celestia told with a smile before helping him stand up once more.

"There ya go, partner." Applejack told ,him fanning the prince with her hat. "Just take a deep breath."

"You were spectacular out there Blueblood! Not only did you find a way to re-introduce yourself into society but also help king Thorax and his people be a part of the noble family!" Celestia beamed with a smile as she looked at the changelings dealing with the press. "Something tells me that things are about to change for the better very soon."

"I really hope so," He said, still a bit shaken up. Celestia smiled and give him a small push. "Why don't you go to your dresser and get some air, we can go for some ice-cream after this."

"Do I need to go back out?"

Celestia giggled and shook her head. "I would just tell every pony that you are still weak from your injuries and need to rest, there is nothing to worry about."

"Love you, aunty." He told her, giving the alicorn a small kiss on her check before going to his dresser.

"Have to say, princess, I like this prince. So far my experience with nobles, minus Shining Armor have been...well, pretty rotten." Applejack mentioned.

"It's a nice change of pace isn't it?" Celestia commented before looking around. "Have you seeing Rarity?"

Applejack sighed and shook her head. "She is probably outside yelling or something." She looks at the princess "Out of us, she seems the one against this new prince the most."

"I see." Celestia said with some worry. "That is unfortunate to hear."

"Oh, don't feel bad princess, I'm sure she is just being stubborn now, and only needs time to calm down. She'll eventually come around" Applejack mentioned with a dismissive voice.

"Let us hope so"

Back in another room

Stellar and Amber received the prince with a smile, Stellar even giving him a bottle of water.

"You were incredible back there your highness, everypony loved your speech." Amber said.

"Thanks." He took the bottle and start to drink before spitting it out everywhere in fright, discovering Rarity sitting on a chair. "Oh Rarity, it's just you. Boy, you just gave me a scare." He said with a chuckle as he held his chest but she just remained stoic, confusing the prince.

"Rarity?"

"You think you have won all of them over do you?" She said, not looking at him and instead, deciding to admire her hoof.

"What?"

Rarity stood up and start to walk around him. "Must be nice right? The princesses love you, the elements like you, being surrounded by supermodels…" She mentioned looking at Stellar and Amber who look confused, but the tension is putting them on edge as they got closer to the prince as though she was a threat. "…and now Equestria thinks that you are a poor prince that wishes to make things right."

"Rarity what is happening?" The prince said, approaching her. "Why are you acting so weird?"

"Acting weird?" She glared at him. "So far I think I'm the only one acting normal around you." She said, jabbing her hoof at his chest, once making Amber act and place herself in between the two.

"Ok that is enough."

"You stay away from this Amber!" Rarity yelled at her "This is between me and that miserable colt there." She points at Blueblood.

"What?" Blueblood looks at her in annoyance. "Ok, that is it, seriously Rarity what is your problem?"

"My problem? I will tell you what it is. I'm angry that a certain prince who utterly destroys my heart, and wanted him gone forever from my life suddenly reappears and thinks that he can do whatever he pleases."

"I told you, the prince you knew is gone." He mentioned, taking a step forward toward her in anger.

"Is he really gone?" Rarity said, matching his expression as their foreheads connected. "You sound like him, look like him and just now acted like him. If you could tell a lie with a straight face like you did just now, why would I believe anything you said during your confession?"

"I didn't lie." He remarked.

"Forgive me for finding that hard to believe."

"So what? After everything you have seen, you honestly think this is just some big trick? To what? What do I gain for any of this?"

"Oh no prince I believe that you have a new soul, I just don't believe that that is not enough to make you change. The princess said that you were once a nice colt, what guarantee do I have to tell me, that you will not revert back to being a jerk after a while?"

"Wow, you really know how to hold a grudge, don't you? Seriously what horrible thing did my predecessor did to you? Because according to Sweetie Bell, I was just an ass that made you do everything and then mess your dress."

In that instant Rarity slapped him so hard that it drew some blood. "Don't you EVER say my sister's name again!" She snapped as his guards gathered next to him, glaring at Rarity.

"Twilight told me to give you a chance, so this is it. I will step away from your way and will just watch on the side to see how you would crash and burn like the bastard you are. But I warn you now _your highness, _you dare to hurt my friends and I don't care what happens to me, I will make sure that your social life ends permanently." She threatened as she headed to the door.

Amber is about to go after her but the prince stopped her. "Let her go!" He grumbled.

"But your highness, she just attacked you!"

"I don't care," He said, cleaning his face. "Responding to that would just prove her ridiculous point. If she thinks I will stoop to her level, she has another thing coming." He mentioned as Stellar treated his wound. "I'm sick and tired of trying to please everyone around me. If she wants to spend the rest of her life loathing and bitter than so be it. I'm the master of my own life and I will live it as I please." He said with a glare before sighing in disappointment and looked at his guards, who still glanced at him with some worry.

He smiled and approaches the two. "Let's not think about it anymore. Now tell me girls, what is your favorite ice-cream flavor?" He asked, trying to change the subject, while outside the room a stallion started to stalk Rarity from the shadows as she made her way outside the building.


	23. Prices And Values

**Prices And Values**

"So Miss Rarity, what do you say? Shall we work together?" Fort Knox asked the element of generosity with his front hooves crossed, and with a smile on his face, watching as she enjoyed a cup of tea in the cafe near city hall. "We share a common enemy here; don't you wish to end his nonsense schemes and put our prince in his place?"

Rarity simply finished her drink and looked the stallion up and down with a critical eye before putting her cup down. "Well Mr. Fort Knox, as much as I agree that a certain petulant prince needs to be teach a lesson. I don't think I can be of any help." She said in a respectful manner.

"Nonsense! Ms. Rarity, with your aid, I'm more than confident that we can both find the prince's weakness and exploit it for our common goals." He told her with a big smile, showing a golden tooth. The stallion was certainly starting to unsettle Rarity a bit. "Just entertain me for a bit and try to picture this scenario; the snotty and unfit prince brought to his knees and forced to kiss your hoof anytime he wants to do anything. The entire world of Canterlot noble society opening for you, and your clothing line worn by only the most elite of ponies."

"I have already achieved that." Rarity told him in irritation, but Fort just continued with a sinister smile. "That buffoon turned into our personal puppet like he should have been from the moment he was born..." He extended his hoof toward her, Rarity starting to get afraid, thinking she was face to face with the devil himself being offered a deal. "Doesn't that sounds incredible? All that and more can be yours,**IF** you just tell me what secret you and your friend are hiding about our beloved prince."

Rarity eyes widened and she looked at him in anger. "You were spying on us?"

Fort Knox just chuckled and backed away. "Come on miss, there no reason for you to act so surprised, it is just honest business. And please don't be a hypocrite and tell me that you haven't indulged yourself in a bit of gossiping." He brought his cup up and start to sip from it before opening an eye. "We are both ponies of noble status after all, of course we are familiar with the world of gossip. Besides, it's not my fault where you and your friends have fights, neither if others heard bits of it." He put his coffee down and smiled again. "So instead of getting mad over spilt milk, why don't we rise beyond petty squabbles and work together?"

"Are you honestly suggesting me that I should betray my friends?" She then started to think of his actions and gets scared in realization of something. "Wait a minute, how exactly _did_ you manage to get backstage again? That place was supposed to be under surveillance at all times."

Fort just shook his head and laughed. "Oh you poor naive mare, you claim to know the world of high society, and yet you still don't know the first lesson of it?" He burst into laughter. "As long as you have the bits, there isn't any place where you can't enter."

His laugh was definitely making Rarity feel uncomfortable. "And back on topic, who cares how I ended up in that building? What is important is crushing that pain in our flank, right? After all, that is the one aspect we share, our common hatred and loathing for the prince, and how we will stop at nothing to destroy him." He growled with emotion as Rarity started to panic, not from his actions but how she was seeing herself in him. How, ever since she heard the truth, she never once took the opportunity to give Blueblood a chance. She always pretended to not hear when Applejack insisted over and over again, on how he really changed and wanting to start over. She didn't want to admit it, but she was becoming the monster she despised so much, and in front of her was a reflexion of what she would end up becoming if she keep on this path.

_Was I really that heartless? Oh Rarity, you and your melodrama. Once again, you decided to play this like a novel and took everything just too far. _

She looked down in shame, now realizing what was happening before shaking her head. _No, apologies will come later. _

She lifted her head and decided to let her companion to finish his rant with a neutral expression.

_Now I need to ditch this brute as soon as possible. _

"I think I have heard enough." Rarity told him with indignation before paying for her cup and standing up. "Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Fort Knox. I understand the intentions behind your words and although I don't like the prince much, I realized now that I was being unreasonable and petty. Plus I can't condone what is clearly an act of treason." She said with a stern voice. "So as a way to gratitude for helping me see how horrible I was acting, I decided to look the other way and pretend I didn't hear anything." She prepared to leave but the stallion grabbed one of her hoofs.

"I suggest you reconsider Ms. Rarity," Fort told her, increasing the force of his grab."Is he really worth the effort? How much is he paying you for your loyalty? Whatever the price is, rest assured, I can easily double it."

"I said no." Rarity firmly tells him, before forcefully removing her hoof from his grasp. "And come to think about it, if Discord was offered a second chance it's only fair we give him one too, plus my friends trust him and that is good enough for me to give him the opportunity." She said, backing away and lifting her snout into the air. "Good day ."

She is about to leave the establishment when two bulky unicorns in suits stop her. "It's a real shame..." Fort Knox said with a sigh as he resumed drinking his coffee. "I really thought that we could have resolved this like civilised ponies." The goons lifted Rarity in the air with a spell and then placed a suppressor ring on her horn before she could cast anything before, tossing her back inside at the hooves of Fort Knox who continued his drink. "I had such high hopes that we could have come to a nice and profitable agreement." He put the cup down. "I suppose that is what I get for being such a romantic."

"What is the meaning of…" Rarity is immediately gagged and put on her knees as Fort Knox stands up and looks at her with a glare, and she soon notices that all the clients had vanished, and the unicorn barista of the place ended the spell she was casting before casting a glance at Rarity with a smirk, as she covers the windows.

"You see Ms. Rarity, in my line of work there is this old slogan I'm particularly proud of, and follow to the letter as my personal mantra. 'If you want it, I got it. And if I don't have it, I obtain it!'" He said, caressing her cheek with his hoof. "And I never _ever_ get denied of what I want." He brought the hot cup near her face. "Right now, I want to know exactly what you and that little godly locks friend of yours were discussing about." He splashed the coffee on her face, luckily it wasn't so hot as to burn her but the sensation was enough for her to scream in pain. "Regardless of what it takes..." He used a napkin to clean some of the coffee of her face as well as her now dripping mascara. "I hope, that this explanation helps you understand why I can't let you leave now."

He stands up and looked at his goons. "Take her to the basement and put the closed sign on, it appears I will be entertaining a special guest today." He said, looking at Rarity and licking his lips which make her shiver in fear and flinch in terror. "Oh don't be afraid Ms. Rarity, this is not my first time digging for valuable info from some pony's head." Fort said, kneeling in front of her with a calm smile. "You are in safe hoofs, and I give you my word; You will be reunited with your friends and family soon enough without any single damage to your body or brain. Well minus the fact that the memory of what would happen to you will be complete erased, but hey, do you really want to remember that? I know I wouldn't..."

She tries to make a break for it by kicking one of the goons who fell on the table, breaking it and headed for the door, but the other goon jumps and grabbed her before she can do anything else and soon is knocked out with a sleeping spell. "Ja! we have a feisty one today boys! We better be on high alert around this one." Fort joked as he and the other unicorns brought Rarity to the basement.

Back at City Hall

A very light yellow mare with a two-toned blue patterned mane and tail, a red flower on her head and a neck with a scarf with a saddlebag as her only piece of clothing approached Applejack, Blueblood and his bodyguards who looked on as Princess Celestia spoke to the reporters. The prince was holding a pack of ice against his cheek while Applejack looked at him with some worry.

"Are you sure you feel ok? That looks like a pretty nasty slap you got there."

"I'm ok Applejack." He replied as he took the ice pack away. "It doesn't hurt that much now and the swelling is almost gone." Blueblood mentioned with a smile.

"I just can't believe Rarity would actually slap you..." She mentioned in disappointed. "That mare can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes, but to actually result to that…"

"Hey I was the one that brought up a touchy subject for her, so maybe I did say the wrong thing. I just won't let it bother me too much." He mentioned, "If you want to talk to her I won't stop you, but let's not escalate this even more than what it already is." He said, and Applejack eventually nodded. "Yeah perhaps it's for the best, the last thing I want is to make matters worse, but seriously, if there was only a way for her to actually give you a chance I…"

"Hm, excuse me?" The light yellow mare called for their attention as the guards stood to attention and stayed near the prince. Applejack looked at her and then smiled. "Well howdy Coco, so nice to see you!" She said with a wave.

"Hello Applejack." She mentions with a small smile. "It's nice to see you too."

Applejack then looked at Blueblood. "Prince, this is the mare I was telling you about, Coco Pommel, a friend of ours." She mentioned, introducing one to the other.

"It's very nice to meet you Miss Pommel." Blueblood mentioned, given her a small bow, which causes her to blush and look away.

"I just, am…N-N-Nice to meet you too your highness." She stuttered, trying to control her blush.

"What bring you here Coco?" Applejack asked, trying to dissolve her blush by changing the subject. "Not that we don't want you here, but shouldn't you and Rarity be on your way to see the pyrotechnic team by now?"

"Oh yes." Her eyes widened remembering why was there. "I was actually about to ask you about that, have you seen her? I was supposed to meet her at the entrance of city hall ten minutes ago but she never came." She said with some worry.

Blueblood and Applejack looked at one another before turning to her. "You mean that she is not outside?" Applejack asked, and Coco just shook her head. "I asked some guards, but none of them answered to me, I even had to show them by backstage pass just to let me enter." She said, levitating a backstage pass to them before putting away. "And when I entered, the only one that answered me seemed confused and told me that he assumed that she was still inside."

"Ok, that definitely doesn't add up..." Applejack said, getting confused by the guard's reaction.

"Agreed." He looks at his guards. "Amber do you think you can rally the guards that were guarding the exit really quick?"

"I can." She said with a nod before looking at the stage. "But shouldn't you be informing the princess about this?"

"While she is in the middle of a press conference and calming the audience that is still afraid of changelings? That is just the formula for panic, no matter how subtle we give her the tip. If we do, it needs to be after she is done talking and comes back."

"But your highness…" She complained, getting worried about what he was doing.

"Look Amber I understand you are worried, but please, Rarity might be in danger, and we need to do something. The more time we take the further away she could be." He argued back. "I promise I will stay away from any danger, if there is any in the first place."

Stellar put her hoof on Amber's shoulder and nodded, getting close to the prince. The guard just sighed and nodded as well. "As you command my prince, but do not move from here and stay with Stellar until my return!"

"I will." The prince told her with a nod as they watched Amber rush away from them.

"Even after what she did, you're are still going to help us?" Applejack asked in surprise.

"I don't care if she doesn't like me or not, but I'm certainly not going to turn a blind eye if something happened to her." Blueblood replied back.

"Is Rarity in trouble?" Coco asked in panic, and the prince held her hoof. "We don't know yet Miss Coco, but rest assured we would find out." He said, trying to calm her down but she only blushed even harder at the reaction and his touch. "I-I just…am…actsxm"

She started to blabber nonsense which just confused the prince, until Applejack pulled her away. "I'll go get her some water Blueblood, the poor mare must be scared out of her mane right now." She explained.

"Ah, of course, go ahead Applejack but don't take too long, we need to solve this as quickly as possible." He said to them with a smile.

"Will do your highness." Applejack said as she guided Coco before looking back at her. "By Celestia's mane Coco, I know he looks attractive but control yourself!" She whispered harshly.

"I can't help it! I have never been near a prince before..." She whispered back.

Sometime later, Amber returned and placed all the guards stationed near the exit in a straight line. "These all the guards that were supposed to be the lookout near the exit your highness." Amber explained, pointing at them.

_Hmmm let's see, two pegasi, three earth ponies and two unicorns_

The prince pondered as he approached them. "Perfect, thank you, Amber."

"Ok listen up everypony!" Applejack yelled at the soldiers. "One of our friends went outside not long ago and was suppose to meet with Coco Pommel." She explained, pointing at the mare in question. "So if there were so many ponies watching the exits can somepony please explain to me how no one saw her leave?"

None of the guards answered her and just remain silent. The prince thought it over and placed his hoof on Applejack's back. "Let me try AJ." He said before approaching the guards and clearing his throat.

"Attention!" He yelled, and immediately all of them looked forward in formation as the prince walked back and forth along the line. "Just like my friend said, not too long ago, the element of generosity exited this building without making any attempt to avoid any of you, so I want to hear what explanation you have for not seeing her."

"We were patrolling the sky, sir! Our focus was on the clouds and the pegasi in the area!" One of the Pegasi said, taking a step forward alongside his companion. Blueblood took a quick glance at AJ who confirmed his story.

"Understood." He then moved to the earth ponies. "What about you?"

"We were needed on crowd control, sir!" One of them answered. "Paparazzi and princess fanatics were trying to sneak their way inside the building, sir. For how many they were, we were almost about to request reinforcements, especially after your speech." He explained, and once again Applejack nodded.

"Which leave us with you two." The prince said with a raised eyebrow as approached the unicorns. "If I understand correctly, you were in charge of guarding the back door, am I right?"

"That is correct sir." One answered. "But we never saw anyone else enter or exit all day."

The prince raised an eyebrow and looks at AJ who just nodded too, confusing him until he noticed a bulge on the other guard's chest under his uniform. Not only that, but he could start to see a flicker of fear on his face as the unicorn started to sweat. "Is that true soldier?"

"It is sir, just like my companion said, we never saw an angry unicorn leave."

That catches the attention of the prince. "I never say anything of her being angry..."

"Ah…well you see, I just assumed that your swollen check was because of her and…" He tried to defend himself, now the mares noticing his actions as even the guards began to look at him.

"Well, I have to say, you really have a very good eye soldier." Blueblood compliment him with a nod. "And you are right, this was because of her. She and I had a heated argument and things kind of escalated before we knew it. I thought that she only needed some time outside to vent and think."

"Mares, am I right sir?" He said with a smile earning a glare from the mares present, and a chuckle from the prince.

"You know, soldier, you just earned my respect. I mean standing here, talking right to my face, while I have the element of **honestly** literally at my left and two extremely skillful soldiers at my right, and still trying to lie your way out?" He shrugs as Stellar pulled a knife and in a swift motion made a cut on his uniform, releasing a mountain of bits on the ground which paralyzed the unicorn in fear immediately. "That takes guts, too bad you are lacking on the loyalty department."

The guard tried to make a run for it, but Stellar intercepted him immediately and brought him down, grabbing one of his upper hoofs into a shoulder lock while pressing her other hoof against his neck. The other guards moved to capture the other unicorn, but Blueblood lifted his hoof. "At ease soldiers, this traitor worked alone." Amber touched his horn with her own, and it flashed for a brief second before nodding and addressing the prince. "Funhouse spell confirm sir. He enchanted his companion so he didn't hear or see a thing."

The prince nodded, and looked at the traitor who was now glaring at him. "Wow, a discreet fun house spell? That's a particularly tricky one...must have been really hard to pull off without anyone noticing." He said, honestly impressed. "Now tell me, why did you lie to us?

"Go to hell you brat!" He spat at him and spit on his face, making Stellar press even harder to the point where the cracking of bones was starting to be heard. "We got you now jerk, once Rarity generously tells us your secret, you will no longer be untouchable." He laughed at him.

"Rarity would never do that!" Applejack yelled at him in anger.

"Plus she already has plans with me." Coco added. "She wouldn't just ditch me..."

"Not even to expose that slime here?" The traitor tells looking at Blueblood. "I sure would if it meant taking away this scum from the throne."

"Not Rarity." Coco insisted. "She at the very least would have excused herself to go find me and apologize for having to cancel our appointment."

"Well, there is a first time for everything right?" He smirked at her. "Even if she refused to talk, which I see as very unlikely, it doesn't matter. I have friends that can be particularly persuasive."

AJ was clearly scared by implication of that before getting rather angry. "Enough of this!" AJ got closer to the guard. "Tell us where you took Rarity before I kick you all the way to Appleloosa." She warned him, but the guard just laughed at them.

"Boy today I'm definitely not here." Blueblood mentioned with a chuckle as he cleaned the spit off his face and then glared at the traitor. "Now let's try this again, where is Rarity?"

The soldier just laughed at his attempt. "You think any of you scare me?" You are just a joke Blueblood, a spoiled brat that only knows how to cry and complain when his tea is too hot. You are not a prince, you are a slug!" He looked at the other guards. "You should be defending me! What power does he have over you? How many times has he had abused his power? Aren't you tired of how he keeps using us like his personal toys?"

He wanted to continue until Stellar choked him with her hoof on his neck a bit more.

"Somepony really didn't listen to a thing I say on the podium..."

"You think that changes anything? You think we would just forgive you right away just because you say 'sorry'? I say the creature should have let you burn." He said, still glaring at the prince.

"Perhaps." The prince nodded. "But she didn't, and because of that, I decided to act like the prince I should have been in the first place." He said with a serious expression. "Starting by looking after my subjects." He pressed his hoof under the traitors face with a glare. "Now consider this, the easy and only merciful way out of this mess you brought yourself into. Tell me where is Rarity and I will tell my aunty to just kick you out of the Guard."

The soldier just smirked at him. "Is that your attempt at being threatening? Please don't make me laugh."

The prince sighed and stood back, Applejack glaring daggers at this point and Coco being particularly afraid.

"I really didn't want to resort to this….I honestly wanted this to be solved differently, but I'd rather have this on my conscience than letting you get away with it." He sighed with a shake of disappointment before looking at Stellar. "Tell me Stellar, can a stallion still feel his hoof break after being dislocated?"

The traitor's blood froze in that instant when he saw the soldier on top of him nod. "Can you show me?"

Before the unicorn could say anything, Stellar starts to pull his arm even further making him scream from the pain to the point of tears. "Ok, ok! I give!" The traitor yelled in desperation. "It was Fort Knox! It was him, he took her to his own coffee shop near here 'The Golden Leaf', that is all I know, I swear." He yelled in pain, and once the prince confirmed with Applejack he turned to his guard.

"Stellar stop!" She abided by the command, and forced the stallion to stand up as he got surrounded by other guards who do a quick job in subduing him and cutting his magic with a suppression ring.

"Should we rally the troops, sir?" One guard asked.

"No, that would draw too much attention and the last thing we want is to create more tension and panic, plus if this Fort Knox see us coming he could try to escape with Rarity . For now, lock this traitor up and reinforce security around city hall, but be discreet about it. Also, inform my aunt of what is happening as soon as she finishes her speech."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted and the other unicorn guard placed the traitor in a bubble before levitating him away with the other soldiers.

The prince sighed and shook his head. "Well ladies I don't know you, but right now I could go for a cup of coffee." He told them with a serious expression.

"Absolutely not!" Amber intervened. "I would let you speak with the soldiers, but I will not let you go towards potential danger."

"It will be easier if it is just a small group, besides we don't know if she is against her will yet, Amber."

"She never misses appointments unless its an emergency Blueblood." AJ explained. "Less when it comes to friends, I can guarantee you that even if she hated you, she wouldn't ditch Coco. She is held against her will." She looked at Stellar and Amber ."And I assume that with all your secret missions you two also came to the conclusion, that this just turned into a hostage situation, am I right?"

Stellar nodded.

"That or she missed the time, but someone as organised as her wouldn't let that happen." Amber explained before glaring at the prince. "Which is why we can't have you risk your life by heading straight on toward danger, your highness." She mentioned before smiling. "So, if we are going to perform a rescue mission it's going to be on our terms." She said, before looking at AJ and Coco. "And I suppose you two are not going to stay here either, am I right?"

AJ shook her head. "No way I'm letting them take my friend away."

"I…um… I want to help in any way I can too." Coco mentioned, although a bit more unsure.

"Good." Amber said with a smile. "Because Stellar and I know exactly how can you three can help." She said in confidence, confusing both the prince and the two mares.

* * *

That will be all for now folks, the next chapter will be posted this Wednesday 11, and it will a particular big one. So to those that would like to read it before that, it is already posted on . Link on the profile page, thanks for reading


	24. The Corrupting Greed

**The Corrupting Greed**

As the prince approached the establishment, he started to feel like he was being watched, and began to see that all the ponies around the building were glaring at him in either curiosity or anger. Swallowing a lump on his throat, he shook his head and continued his march until he approached the front door. Taking a deep breath, he started to knock until an irritated unicorn mare with brown fur, a white mane, and a tail in the shape of foam opened it. "The sign says…" She then noticed who was knocking and smirked.

"Well, well, well, if isn't it the prince of Equestria, gracing us with his presence after having a change of heart, what an honor." She mentioned before crossing her hoofs. "What do you want? In case you didn't notice, we are closed."

The prince just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "In the middle of the day?"

"Yeah, you have a problem with that?" She asked defensively as he looked over her head, noticing the spilled coffee and a broken table until she blocked his view. "We are getting some things repaired. Now if you don't mind, aren't you late to kiss some babies in front of a camera or something?" She is about to close the door when the prince invited himself in. "I need to see Fort Knox."

That caught the barista off guard, and she looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

The prince smirked as he looked at her. "Come on, isn't it obvious? Changelings integrating into noble society? Do I need to spell out the possibilities on the info and money behind it? Hello?" He said, tapping her head twice and making the mare laugh.

"Ha! I knew you were still a scheming snake with a silver tongue, I just knew it! Knox owes me forty bits now." She mentioned as she pointed at him. "No way a couple of flames could take that away from you!"

_I'm going to take one long, cold shower once this is over_

The prince cringed at his attitude internally before addressing the barista again. "Ah…excuse me? Your boss? Chop-chop." He said, faking irritation.

"Ah? Oh yeah, he is in the basement, you know the way." She said, pointing to the back door. "Just knock beforehand, he is 'adjusting' some inventory." She remarked with a chuckle before returning to the back of the counter and resuming her reading of a magazine.  
That is, until a spell was cast on her, and the mare hit the counter with her face and then fell onto the ground. AJ and Stellar quickly re-appeared next to the prince.

"Was that really necessary?" The prince asked his guard with a raised eyebrow.

"We couldn't risk her calling for reinforcements, right?" AJ said, tying the mare up with her lasso. "Gettin' repairs done my tail, I have been in enough apple cider bars with Big Mac and my cousin Braeburn to know what a brawl looks like. She knew what was going on." AJ said before smirking. "That right there has Rarity's name all over the place; the mare doesn't look like it but she can defend herself." Applejack commented before approaching the prince. "Nice acting, by the way, even I was almost fooled."

"Please don't remind me," The prince said, shivering at the thought until Stellar got their attention and pointed to the back door.

"Stellar is right, we are not done yet, we need to go find Rarity."

"Right!" They both got closer to Stellar, and she recast the invisibility spell once again, making it look like the prince was alone.

_Well if it wasn't for the needing to pretend to be a jerk, this is kind of exciting. Almost like I'm a spy or a hero rescuing a hostage_

The prince thought with a smile as he went to the back of the store, but before entering he looked at the barista for a moment in pity. Deciding to open the cash register, he tossed a bunch of bits in front of her before going into the hallway and toward the only door at the end of it. He was about to knock before realizing what is he supposed to be here for, and shook his head. He decided to slowly open the door, making as little noise as possible until he saw a set of metal stairs heading downwards.

Walking down slowly, he soon found himself in a incredibly big basement the size of a football field, with a lot of boxes spread around and two big garage door on the walls. Those no doubt lead to underground tunnels, as the only source of light came from a giant white crystal in the center of the rooftop, which had a stream of light in the base hitting the floor.

_What the hell? Is this a basement or a warehouse?_

The prince asked himself in confusion as he reached the base of the stairs, and with help of his friends made quick work of two stallions that were keeping guard. They then resumed their walk, looking around at the crates and small boxes, both wooden and metallic, piled into rows. All had different tags on them, ranging from potions to medicine, and all the way to weapons and jewelry.

_Ok, so we are in an underground storage facility, hidden under a coffee shop. Either Fort Knox has deals in illegal goods transportation or he is the weirdest and richest hoarder I have ever seen_ The prince kept exploring until he heard a voice in the distance.

"Keep your hooves away from me, you uncivilized brutes!" Rarity called in the distance, alerting the three as they rushed to the center of the room where the stream of light seemed to be gathering.

Once there, they saw how Rarity was tied to a chair while surrounded by unicorns, all pointing their horns at her while Fort poured some water in a hollow and transparent gemstone, taken from a box full of them. He then sealed it again and then exposed it to the ray of light created by the crystal in the roof. "Now now Ms. Rarity there is no need for violence here isn't there?"

"You splash me with hot coffee, kidnap me, mess with my **MANE** and makeup, and now are treating me with magic!" She answered back. "I certainly have all the right to be violent and angry right now." She said, thrashing around the place. "And what kind of basement is this? All poorly lit, cold, with just giant boxes piled on top of each other everywhere and no place to sit. Is this unflattering chair, really only thing you have for that? This place is just hideous! You could at least have painted the walls a bit, aren't you supposed to be rich? Are you so cheap that you refused to pay for even one simple color? I was so wrong about you Fort Knox, I thought that with that elegant suit and those kind and polite words, you were better than this, but you are nothing more than a well dressed, swine, you uncivilized brute, you…"

"Please just gag her again." He sighed, getting annoying and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Don't you dare!" Rarity glared daggers at the unicorn in front of her with a piece of cloth, before another one behind her forced a ball in her mouth to silence her.

"Thank you, her whining was really starting to get into my nerves." Fort said with another sigh of relief before approaching, Rarity glaring at him and continuing to try to talk and thrash. That is, until he was face to face with her. "Oh right, complaining not whining, right?"

She in turn rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless as the stallion moved away from her and showed her the gemstone. "Isn't it beautiful miss? Imported straight from the badlands dessert, pure clear alexandrite, although I prefer the name the locals gave it when I discovered it. 'The Oblivion Kiss.'"

He passes the alexandrite with water to one of his goons and picked another empty one. "A gemstone that in itself is harmless, but when exposed to any kind of light and pressed against any pony's head…" He motioned as he talked, pressing it against Rarity. Immediately the image of Rarity outside the city hall appeared in the air for all to see, showing her being approached by Fort Knox and how he kissed her hoof, then calming her down before guiding her to the cafe.  
"…it shows his or her's immediate memory."

He removed the alexandrite, and Rarity was left dizzy from the experience before shaking her head. "Yeah, unfortunately, the side effects for using it include dizziness and delirium for a short period of time. That is probably why these gemstones are illegal on Equestria." He said as he tapped the box of the gemstones with a smirk. "Good thing that nopony knows that there is a box full of them in here, right guys?" He laughed with his goons as he took the alexandrite full with water.

"Aw, don't be mad at me, just like I promised, you will not feel a thing with this one." He shook the alexandrite with water a little, making it shine a bit brighter. "After some experimentation I found out that using water and some white light..." He pointed at gem on the rooftop, "I can command the memory I wish to find by speaking its detail and then pressing the crystal against the pony's head. Everything is shown and exposed like a river in front of me, as the water evaporates from the heat, with the reminder of it on the user's head..." He mentioned before whispering into the crystal "Blueblood's secret" and then approaching Rarity "So Ms. Rarity without any further delay…"

He was getting the alexandrite closer to her until a blast of magic hit it, making him drop the crystal. Immediately all the goons turned and saw Blueblood approaching the group.

"Geez Fort Knox, I know that no pony likes it, but I'm pretty sure that there are better ways to deal with rejection than this." He said with a smug smile. "By the way, she is right. This place is just gloomy, would it have to kill you to put some color here and there instead of going for the classic supervillain cliche cave?"

Rarity eyes widened when she saw him approach. _He…came here? Did he come to rescue me?_  
She is genuinely touched.

All the unicorns aimed their horns at him but stopped when he showed them a recorder floating in his magic. "Ah ha, easy there fellows, none of you would want the copy of your boss's confession to end in my aunt's hooves, would you?"

That makes them stop and back away as he approached Fort Knox, now noticing the other pony was easily two heads taller than him.

_Oh boy he is even bigger than Big Mac_

He stops and looked at Fort Knox with a neutral expression before glancing at Rarity and then looking back at him. "Well Fort Knox, care to explain yourself?"

After recovering from the surprise, the stallion just laughed before approaching the prince, once he noticed that Blueblood is all alone. "Well, if it isn't the reformed and improved prince of Equestria. How nice of you to grace us with your presence." He mentions with a smug smile, showing his golden tooth. "This day really has been one strange occurrence after another." Fort Knox mentioned with a shake of his head. "Hearing that you apparently got amnesia, then that you almost died, and then a miracle of finding out that you actually have a heart. And now it turns out that you also had a brain all along? Just one surprise after another with you recently. Now tell me, how did you find this place?" He asked in irritation.

"Please Fort, don't insult me, did you really think that I couldn't just double the price you offered to your guards? The moment I showed them the second bag of bits, they were drooling like a starving dog." He mentions with a smirk. "Now let's talk about business, I came to negotiate."

"Would you look at that? So much for your change of heart, how much did it last? An hour?"

"I'm still a changed stallion Fort." Blueblood said with a serious expression. "The fact that my view of the world changed, doesn't mean I have forgotten how the game works." He mentioned before pointing at Rarity. "Now before we begin, let her go, that is no way to treat a lady, and she has nothing to do with us."

Everyone laughed at the comment as Fort Knox looked at his goons. "Look out guys, we have a noble prince here."

Rarity's eyes started to dampen, never once blinking away from Blueblood.

_He is so considerate_

Her eyes widen before she shakes her head.

_What in Equestria I'm thinking?! That gemstone! It's making me delusional, but I still need to apologize to him for my behavior, and he just marched here gallantly and…Ah! Control yourself!_

She continues to shake her head.

Once their laughter died down, Fort went back to look at him. "I was wondering what all this was, about you been a changed pony, but now this? This is just pathetic. It's too late for you to start playing hero Blueblood." He said as his goons start to circle around him. Fort picked the alexandrite with water off the ground and started towards Rarity. "One accident and some extreme tanning will not change what you are. Now I have grown tired of just seeing you pull surprises, so if you'll excuse me, I'll go see your big secret."

"I'm warning you, Fort Knox, let her go. I still have your confession."

"And I have the means to avoid being exposed, 'your highness'" He said him with a smug smile, practically spitting out Blueblood's title in a mocking matter. "This place has a magic jammer on it, nothing can be teleported in or out, so the moment you try, your device will simply hit an invisible wall." He mocked as the unicorns readied their spells. "But don't let that stop you, by all means, give it a try."

"Please Fort, stop this." The prince begged him, trying to appeal to the stallion's heart. "Just look at yourself! Is this how you want to live? In the dark like a rat, hurting innocents? Life is more than just bits and luxuries. I know that now. If I can change, so can you, it's not too late yet. Just call off your guards, apologize to Ms. Rarity and get rid of all this illegal stuff. I can even help you with the last part, the apology thing on the other hoof, you are on your own. You **DID** kind of kidnap her and threaten to manipulate her mind, so you two will have to work a deal. Maybe offer her to slap you in the face or kick you in the groin. I would advise the slap but the mare has one killer left hoof so it could be worse." The prince mentioned, confusing everyone in the process.

"What do you say, Fort Knox? If I could change for the better, you can do the same. So why not change together and work hard for a better Equestria?" He asks, offering his hoof to him.

Fort turned his head to look Blueblood in the eyes with a raised eyebrow before bursting into laughter, so much so that he almost fell and needed to hold onto the chair while his goons did the same, some even clearing their eyes from the tears. The prince just watched them with an annoying expression as he let them have their laugh.

"Oh my Celestia, that was…that was…!" He had another fit of laughter before addressing the prince again. "Do you even…believe all that nonsense yourself?"

The prince just sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "To be perfectly honest, no, I didn't, but the polite thing to do was to give you the chance, and Amber needed time to charge her spell."

Immediately all their eyes widened in surprise. "What?" Fort asked, but before anyone could react, dozens of clones of Amber burst out through the boxes, jumping toward them or running, appearing everywhere until they surrounded the group. The goons tried to retaliate, but Stellar appeared and charging her horn, send a wave of blue magic that blinded them and forced the afflicted to stare at the vacuum of space. In a similar surprise motion, AJ made a quick job in lassoing the rest of the goons and knocking them down with a good placed buck to the face.

Fort was left speechless as the prince approached him with a literal army of guards, all of which were smirking at him as they kept their horns at the ready. Others were putting the rest of his stallions in the ground, half burned, unconscious, and tied up with melted iron on their bodies. "Ok now, as I was saying, I came here to negotiate, so here are my options Fort Knox, release our friend this instant and surrender peacefully and I give you my word that my aunt will not hear a thing of this. Instead, I will choose somepony else for your trial. Resist arrest and…well let's face it; treason; illegal possession; illegal transportation; blackmailing, bribery of a guard, and not to mention you hurt and kidnapped a friend of the crown and a national hero. So yeah, she is going to eat you alive and spit you before the trial even begins." He warned Fort. "So I suggest you choose the less painful option while you still have the chance."

Fort Knox looked everywhere for a way out, even taking a glance at Rarity who was now looking at him with a smug smile before sighing in defeat. "Ok Blueblood, you win." He said, as he started to untie Rarity out of the chair.

The prince let go of a breath he was holding in satisfaction. "Glad to hear you came to your senses."

"I'm not beyond reason." He mentions with a smile. "I will take your offer..." His smile morphed into a smirk, alerting the guards. "After I find out your secret!" He yelled, breaking the chair as Amber tried to fire, but Fort used Rarity as a shield which made her stop as he fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the confusion, he kicked the box of gemstones toward the light. Moments later, due to the overexposure, the gems started to violently shake before rupturing behind Fort. The resulting explosion releasing a blinding wave of white light.

Stellar created a shield for her friends and used her body to cover the prince, but it was too late as everyone in the room minus Fort and Blueblood got blinded. Once the light faded, the prince saw how Amber was forced to end her spell, leaving her dizzy in the middle of the room as Fort made a run for it holding Rarity and the gemstone with the water. "You are coming with me!" He said as he approached one of the doors in the room.

"Oh no, you don't!" Blueblood glared and gave chase after him.

Fort noticed, and hit a nearby pile of crates, making them lose balance and fall toward the prince. Reacting fast enough, the prince slid and managed to avoid them, yet the domino affect made more and more things to fall over, making destructive chaos spread everywhere like wildfire. The prince managed to catch up with Fort as they entered another room, and picking two swords from the debris with his magic, he managed to throw them at two pulleys.  
Hitting his mark, the weapons cut the ropes, and made two large suspended crates fall and block the only other door out of the room, and also destroying the stairs, effectively cutting Fort off from his only escapes routes. Unfortunately, with the destruction behind them, it also trapped the three inside with almost no light.

"Seriously Fort? Another warehouse connected to the first one? How can you afford all this?" Blueblood yelled in irritation as he tried to find him in the darkness, using his horn to give him some light.

"It helps when you are the owner of the entire block!" The voice of Fort called before appearing from his left to tackle Blueblood into the ground before disappearing among the crates once more.

Blueblood needed a moment to recover and breath before standing up again.

_Freaking, train! What the hell is that guy made off? Stone?!_  
Once he recovered, the prince took slow steps, careful of his movements. "It's over Fort, you have no escape, your goons are all captured, and we have enough evidence to lock you up for a long time. Even if you manage to leave this place, a friend of ours must have already informed the princesses where we are. She will be here any minute now..." Managing to spot some small wooden boxes next to a large crate, the prince jumped on top of them before Fort appeared and tried to hit him, only managing to destroy the smaller boxes.

The light from his gemstones shone a bit brighter for a moment. Shaking off the dizziness, the stallion looked around in anger before smiling. "You think you can scare me? I have contingency plans for everything. After beating you and finding out your secret, I'll escape and lay low under a new identity for a while. Then I will come back stronger than ever!" He looked at Rarity with a smirk. "And when that happens, I will make sure to pay you both a visit…"  
She glared at him and started to thrash around until he choked her with his hoof. "Shut up..."

Fort then start to look around the place like a snake in a box. "So, you better come out now Blueblood. Or do you not care for the safety of your precious loose end?" He threatened and increased the hold on Rarity. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

_Ok, it's official, he is now a super villain_ Blueblood thought in anger before holding his head with his hoof, _I can't fight him while he has Rarity hostage, first I need to force him to let her go, but how? I can't just fight him head on_

Before the light disappeared, the prince noticed that the crate Fort had broken contained a set of armor, and looking underneath his own, he discovered it full of bags of flour, which gave him an idea.

_Or can I?_

Keeping his magic as dim as possible, he levitated the objects and moved behind Fort.

"Fort, that is just low. You are so afraid of me that you hide behind a mare? Talk about spineless." The prince mocked. Turning around, Fort saw Blueblood walking behind him looking for the two using his horn again. He smirked and picked a dagger up from the ground as Rarity trashed and tried to warn the prince.

"Think of it as insurance..." He muttered before running toward Blueblood at full speed. Rarity screaming in terror for the prince until they made contact with the dummy armor, which exploded from the impact covering them both in flour.

"What the…" Fort yelped, startled as he tried to locate the prince until beginning to sneeze uncontrollably.

"Surprise!" The prince appeared from the right and smashed Fort in the face with a metal shield as hard as he could. Forcing Fort to let go of the gemstone and Rarity, Blueblood doesn't waste time and picked her up before rushing away while Fort still tried to recover.

Once he thought they were far enough from the stallion, the prince untied Rarity and looked her in the eyes. "Rarity are you ok?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine." She mentioned, coughing and holding her throat as she stood up, looking at him guiltily. "But I don't get it Blueblood, after I treated you so badly, why did you risk your life for me?"

The prince just sighed and shook his head. "Rarity, look, I know you don't like me, and perhaps you will never will. And while that hurts me, it doesn't mean I won't stand to the side while you suffer." He told her with a serious expression. "Whether you like me or not, you are still an Equestrian citizen and as such, just like my aunt's, it's my sworn duty to protect you. So that's exactly what I will do."

Taken aback by his words, Rarity can only tear up and hug him. "Blueblood! I…I'm so sorry!" She told him, letting her emotions flow. "I thought he was going to kill you, and it was all my fault- because of me we ended up here in the first place."

After recovering from the surprise, he returned the hug with a smile. "It's ok Rarity, it's ok." The prince said, trying to console her.

"Blueblood, I…I'm so sorry, for the slap and for everything, I have been nothing but mean to you all this time and yet you came back to save me and…"

**"BLUEBLOOD!"** They both heard Fort Knox scream in complete rage before hearing crates and objects being destroyed and tossed around like rag dolls. **"Show yourself! I'm gonna break every single bone in your body!**

"There will be time for that later, but for now, we need to deal with him." He told her and prepared to leave, but Rarity stopped him by holding his hoof.

"You are not actually considering fighting him alone are you? He is double your size!" She said fearfully.

"Of course not, only an idiot or someone with a death wish would face that giant head on, we both are going to restrain him." He said confidently.

Rarity can only blink in confusion. "Say what now?"

"Look, the first thing we need to do is- LOOK OUT!" Blueblood tackled them both away before a flying crate smashed into where they had just been, the pair hiding behind another one. "Ok, I know it will be bad to confront him, but he is on a rampage. The more we wait for my guards to come here, the more likely he will find us. Plus we don't know what he keeps in this warehouse. If he breaks something toxic or something that can catch itself on fire, we will be inside a death trap. So, that is why we need to restrain him as soon as possible."

He explained, forgetting that he was now on top of Rarity, which was causing her to blush furiously. Thanks to the effects on the crystal, it made her look at him with an open shirt and his mane moving in the simulated wind.

"Rarity?" Blueblood looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What? I-I mean!" She shakes her head and comes back to reality. "Yeah, you are right, we can't just wait and hope something here wouldn't turn this place on a death trap. Plus I still owe him for messing with my poor mare and makeup..." She said with a growl of anger before clearing her throat as they both stood up. "Do you have any ideas?"

"The classic hit and run tactics come to mind, but I'm open to suggestions." He said with a smile, and Rarity put her hoof on her chin to think, until she came up with something. "Keep him distracted, while I go search around. I think I know what we can do."

"Got it."

"Ah, also Blueblood, could you take care of this?" She mentioned, pointing at the ring still on her horn.

"Oh right, sorry." He used his magic to remove the ring, making the mare shiver and shake her head. "Ah, that is much better, now don't do anything stupid and keep your distance from that brute!"

"On it!" He saluted before dashing away and disappearing into the shadows, which caused her to 'awww' and hold her hoofs together near her heart.

_He is so brave_

She realized what is happening and shook her head.

_For pony's sake, for how much longer will that infernal gemstone affect me?!_

She thought before dashing in the opposite direction, avoiding Fort's destructive path.

"Just you wait until I get my hooves on you Blueblood!" Fort continue to rant as he started to look everywhere for a sign of the prince.

"Batter up!" Blueblood called, before smacking the stallion in the face with a baseball, making him growl in anger. When he turned, Fort saw Blueblood with a baseball hat and bat, levitating 3 more balls with his magic. "Who's up for a game?" He called before hitting the balls at him, one of which ended in Fort's mouth.

"Yeah, three points!" Fort glared at him and bit off the ball before charging at him, only to smash into a mirror.

"Sorry, wrong prince!" Blueblood called, hitting him again on the flank with another ball. He yelped and jumped around just to see the prince waving at him. "Over here!" Fort tried to hit him, but the same mirror trick occurred.

"No, over here! Or perhaps here! Or here. I'm everywhere!" The prince laughed as Fork ended up confused, looking at the prince appearing on mirrors floating around by his magic, making him unable to find the real one until he was surrounded.

"Confused yet Fort?" The stallion just screamed and rushed to a metal crate before lifting it with his mouth, then spinning it around repeatedly as he smashed all the mirrors and revealed the prince's hiding spot. He tried to run but Fort threw the crate in front of him, blocking his escape as he slowly approached him.

"Now I got you!"

_Oh great, my first fight against a supervillain and it turns out to be freaking Juggernaut? That is just not fair_

He made a run for it, but Fort just lifted him effortlessly and rammed Blueblood against the crate before holding his neck against the container, starting to choke him. "Any last words?"

Blueblood felt the pressure building before seeing Rarity appear out of the corner of his eye, levitating dresses and a full set of scissors, needles, metal, and some gemstones, all of which was now shining. This made the prince smile and look at Fort.

"You…should have taken the slap."

"What?" Fort looked at him confused, but before he could answer, all the dresses fell on top of him, catching the giant off guard. He thrashed around, but Rarity was better with her skill, and managed to tangle him in all the fabric. As she did so, she sewed and cut on the spot until he fell to the ground wearing what appeared to be a giant straitjacket made of at least fifty layers of cloth.

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me..." Rarity told the prince with a smile before turning around and delivering a powerful kick to the groin of Fort, making him scream in a really high pitch. "And he is right, you should have taken the deal."

"Ouch!" The prince flinched before approaching her and giving Rarity a hoof bump. "And wow Rarity, the way you managed all the fabrics was incredible!"

"When it comes to dresses I never do anything mediocre, darling." She said with pride.

The prince then noticed the gemstones floating around her. "And why do you need the gems?"

"Oh, these? I have a spell that can make them shine, so I used them as a flashlight." She explained before levitating two toward Fort Knox. "Plus I was still unsure on what combination to used…." She said in wonder as she compared the rocks against the straitjacket "What do you think? Obsidian or Onyx?"

The prince chuckled and shook his head. "Honestly I'm not sure, it's too dark for me to see any color."

"Oh you are right, that can wait for later. For now, there are more pressing matters." She said, bringing the gems together and creating a ball of energy that provided a stronger light. "Ah, much better!" She said in satisfaction.

Soon both heard something metallic moving not too far from them, followed by AJ's voice.

"Hey! Rarity, Blueblood are you two there?" She asked in worry from the other side.

"We are here darling." Rarity called out, "And we are ok, Blueblood and I took care of that brute Fort Knox."

"Thank Celestia; glad that no good double faced snake didn't run away."

"Your Highness!" Amber's voice is soon heard, sounding very agitated. "Are you there? Please don't be mad at us, everything was pandemonium once Fort hit the crates, and there were injuries everywhere. More gemstones hit the light, so there more flashes, and we couldn't do anything until we fixed that chaos. Please say something!"

"Amber, please, breath, it's ok, and I understand. In fact I'm happy you took care of the other ponies. I'm ok, Fort tried to get me but, like Rarity said, we took care of him."

"Oh thank the stars you are safe." She said before sounding angry. "Don't you **EVER** run away from us again, you hear?" She scolded him over the wall, sounding like a worried older sister.

"Loud and clear, and sorry for making you all worry, I promise I will make it up to you later."

"You'd better." They soon heard a horn lighting up.

"Stand back you two, Stellar is going to blow the crates." Amber warned him. the prince and Rarity moving out of the way before the crates were destroyed, finally letting the lights come through once morem as well as the mares. The guards didn't waste time and went to the prince to inspect his body, searching for any injury.

"Girls I'm telling you, I'm ok," Blueblood remarked to them with some irritation.

"We will be the judge of that." Amber mentioned as Applejack chuckled and approached Rarity.

"It's nice to see you alright Rarity." She said, bringing her for a hug small hug which Rarity gladly reciprocated. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit shaken from the ordeal but I will be fine, thanks." She told her friend with a smile. "Although I assure you, this is one experience that will take a while before I forget." She added somewhat grimly.

"Ah say you should take this as a lesson." AJ said before looking back at Blueblood. "Even when you slapped him the prince was still very concerned for you Rarity. If I was you, I would be apologizing to him now."

"I couldn't agree more Applejack." Rarity said with a nod.

That surprised AJ. "So that means you are finally going to stop with the cold shoulder treatment and actually give the poor stallion a chance?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh, I don't need to give him a chance darling." Rarity said, turning to her friend. "I say he more than proved himself. He has certainly earned my unquestionable friendship. I no longer have any doubt that this prince Blueblood is in no longer the brute I once met."

AJ sighed in relief once she heard that. "Finally! I was getting worried you were just gonna be a stubborn mule forever!"

"Hey!" Rarity looked back at AJ in anger.

"Tell me I'm wrong…."

She sighed in defeat and looked down. "Fine you were right. I was being inconsiderate and mean." She looks at AJ. "But don't worry, I will make it up to him as soon as I can."

"Don't tell me, tell him." She said, pointing to the prince. "After risking his neck for you, you'd better show him that you really are sorry".

"Don't worry AJ, I will. For now, what do you say if we leave this dreadful…" Before she can say anything else, the entire ground started to shake violently, forcing everyone to kneel from the force. "What is happening?" Blueblood asked in worry. "An earthquake?"

"Worse." Amber said as her eyes widened in fear, looking at Fort Knox. The massive stallion was currently ripping the straitjacket as his eyes shone red. "A rage burst!" She yelled before she and Stellar lifted a shield, just in time for Fort to scream in rage. Giant gems and diamond columns started to emerge from the ground everywhere, the ground starting to crack around him. The destruction almost impaled the group.

"What type of rage burst is that!?" Blueblood asked in fear.

"We earth ponies have more than one type of rage, partner. It's often related to our type of cutie mark, his most likely being of the geology type." AJ explained.

"This place just became unstable, we need to…" A diamond column emerged from under the group, breaking the shield and spreading them around. The guards tried to retaliate, but a crate hit both of them leaving the two unconscious on the ground. "Stellar! Amber!" The prince tried to rush to their side but a wall of crystals blocked his way.

"Blueblood, look out!" AJ called, warning him in time just before Fort stomped him. He dodged out of the way and tried to parkour his path away from the beast, the massive stallion attacking him relentlessly until Blueblood managed to get some distance between the two.

The elements tried to help, but the ground split open and they were both swallowed in a hole.

"No!" The prince can only look on in terror as they were swallowed by the earth, ignoring the deranged stallion behind him. Instead, he noticed the screams of the other ponies as they tried to crawl and move away from the destruction Fort was making.

"Now it's your turn!" Fort growled, lifting a metal crate and tossing it at Blueblood. The prince's eyes shone white for a second and his horn flared out, creating a giant blue astral hand, the apparition catching the crate and crushing it effortlessly before vanishing like it was a mirage.

"What?" Fort Knox muttered, startled by this before being hit in the face by another hand appearing in the shape of a fist that sent him flying backwards.

The prince walked toward him angrily. "Ok, that is it!" Using his magic he levitated various crates and made an octagonal ring around the two. "No more running, no deals, no hostages, no traps. Just you and me Fort, let's settle this once and for all!"

Fort just glared at him before spitting out his golden tooth, removing both his suit and fedora as more gemstones appeared and surrounding the two.

Screaming again, Fort stomped on the ground making it shake, and forced the prince to kneel before charging. Thinking fast, the prince charged his horn and discharged a flash of light that blinded Fort, forcing him to stop and giving the prince some time to recover. Blueblood tried to counter with his astral hands, but his punches didn't do anything other than hurt his own hooves. Jumping backwards, the prince dodged one of Fort attacks which left a hole in the ground.

_If I hadn't dodged, I'd be a pancake now! _The prince thought in shock at the sheer power Fort had, before he continued to dodge the other stallion's charges.

_Ok think, he is big, strong and his body is like a rock. Can't attack directly, but he is also not thinking clearly, which means…_

Hugging one of the edges of the makeshift ring, the prince got ready for the next attack. Once Fort was close enough, he discharged another flash and then dodged, making Fort hit the crate and leaving him disoriented in the process. Wasting no time, the prince manifested his astral hands and grabbed one of Fort's back hooves, yanking it with all of his might as he spun Fort around, hitting all of the crystals in the ring and finished by ramming him against the crates.

Fort simply shook his head and glared at the prince as soon as he recovered, then looking at his hoofs which were being surrounded by gems. The stones moved, creating shining claws held in his magic, making Fort smirk.

_Ok that is new!_

The prince thought in terror as Fort looked backwards and broke the crate behind him, pulling out gold bars which he then threw at the prince with enough force that they embedded cast off metal and gems into them. The prince almost ended the same way if it wasn't for the door he ripped off and used for cover.

_Ok now he is clearly stronger and bigger. Cheerilee, if I survive I'm going back to ponyville and demand some answers!_

Once he ran out of ammo, Fort tried to charge again, but the prince managed to blind and dodge him once more, now not needing him to hit the edge of the ring and repeat the process. Fort used the advantage of the terrain to make columns of diamonds that he grabbed, launching them at the prince as they destroying the rest of the ring. He then jumped on the columns on the ground and tried to ground pound Blueblood, cracking the floor even more. Blueblood kept dodging and tried to counter as much as he could, using any opening he could find. Unfortunately, the entire ordeal was draining him and soon he found himself with almost no energy left, while Fort didn't show any sign of fatigue.

_How much more energy does this guy have?!_

Feeling his body starting to give out, the prince kneeled down holding his hoof in pain, the stress of the spells showing more and more. Fort watched this and laughed in victory before stomping his hoofs, creating two stone walls around the prince and trapping him in a straight line with no possibility to escape.

Blueblood just glared at him for a bit before looking down in defeat. Fort chuckled and then charged as fast as he could towards Blueblood, not noticing the smirk on the prince's face as he began gathering all of his energy on his hoof.

_Ok it's all or nothing. No more regrets, time to make a wish come true!_

The prince closed his eyes and measured the closing distance between the two, waiting for the opportunity.

_This is for all points!_

Dashing forward the prince placed himself underneath the stomach of his opponent and- **"Shoryuken!**

In one move the prince executed a jumping uppercut with his charged hoof, which had enough force to take all the air out of Fort's lungs and propel the two into the air as the prince's body started to spin upwards. The astral hand appeared and traveled to Fort's body until it hit the stallion on the chin, providing a second hit that sent the giant flying even further until Fort hit the white crystal. Blueblood's opponent then fell into one of his metal crate full of bits, which promptly exploded and released all the money everywhere, leaving him on the ground unconscious and wounded with his new claws now shattered.

The prince collapsed on the ground breathing heavily as he chuckled, then smiling while looking at the rooftop. "I…I did it! My hoof is killing me, and I don't think I have any energy left, but by Celestia I actually did it! I made a Shoryuken!" He yelled, laughing in triumph, not caring how sore he was feeling now.

Once he caught his breath and recovered some energy, Blueblood moved to his left and with shaky legs slowly stood up. Trying put as little weight as possible on his right hoofs, he slowly walked out of the ring.

"Blueblood!" The concerned voices of Rarity and Applejack caught his attention, and when looking up, he saw them both galloping toward him. AJ let him rest against her side once they arrived. "Easy their partner, I got you."

"Oh, you poor thing." Rarity ripped a nearby dress and improvised a sling for him to use and rest his hoof. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine girls, physically spent and _really_ needing a rest…and perhaps an ice pack for my hooves, but other than that, fine. It's a miracle, but I don't think I have anything broken." He then looked to the side in some worry. "What about Amber and Stellar? Are they ok? How did you escape the hole?"

"Relax partner. To answer that, a lot of stuff fell with us in that hole, so making a pile for us to climb out wasn't hard. We soon found those two guards and checked them. They are ok, still unconscious but neither of them seems to be badly hurt."

"Oh thank the stars." Blueblood sighed in relief.

"Which is more than I can say about him..." AJ mentions, looking behind them at Fort Knox, rather impressed. "That is one big stallion. How exactly did you manage to beat him up?"

The prince chuckled and shook his head. "I'll tell you once I figure out how I pulled half of the things I did during the fight." The prince said honestly as they walked toward the two guards. A distorted voice that sounded like two mares talking at the same time stopped them.

_**"Greed, the corruption whose existence will always be present in life"**_  
They heard someone talk behind them, and when they turned, a pure white alicorn who's hooves ended in fog hovered. Her floating mane looked like mist, and her body was covered in worn out bandages which were starting to lose their holds on her body. She walked from the stream of light and approached the group. A bandage on her face was covering her left eye, and her right didn't show anything but pure light.

"Oh for pity's-now what?" The prince sighed in exhaustion and rolling his eyes as Applejack took a step forward. "What in tarnation are you?" The alicorn in question seemed to ignore AJ and instead stared at the prince before extending one of her hooves.

_**"Hear my words your highness! You have just taken the first step on your rightful path to ascension. Succeed, and a seat at your family table will be granted. But beware, the road ahead will be filled with dangers, so step lightly and do not stray from your path. Ecnirp eht, liah lla!" **_The mare exclaimed before shining even brighter to the point she blinded the three, and then disappeared seconds later.

"Ok what was…" The prince asked, then stopping once the stallion noticed that he was no longer tired, and his hoof wasn't hurting anymore "Did…did she just heal me?"

"I think she healed all of us sugar cube." AJ mentioned, looking at her body equally surprised, the same with Rarity who even had recovered her make up as if nothing ever happened in the first place. They then heard groans coming from Blueblood's guards as they started to wake up and hold their heads, shaking them occasionally.

"Ok seriously, what just happened?" The prince asked the two in confusion.

"If I were to guess, I'd say you just took and passed some sort of mystical test." AJ responded.

"Mystical test?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as both mares nodded.

"Trust me darling, we are familiar with those." Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. "Although I think this is the first one that isn't directed at us, being the elements of harmony and all." She pondered.

"Well, what I'm supposed to do now?"

"I'm afraid you will have to ask your aunts, Twilight, or Starlight for more on that sugar cube. They probably would know more about that strange ghost alicorn and that test she was talking about. For now I think we should be taking care of our current situation though." AJ mentioned, pointing at Fort who was still injured and passed out on the ground.

"Right..." The prince nodded before sighing and folding his ears. "Oh boy...how am I going to explain this to aunty Celestia?"

AJ and Rarity chuckled at his expression. "Don't worry darling, we will help you with the explanation." Rarity said, placing her hoof on his shoulder.

That helped him calm down, and he looked at both with a smile. "Thank you, girls."


	25. Report And Reconciliation

**To Begin Again**

The moment the group returned to city hall, the prince didn't waste any time and approached Celestia. Luckily for him, she had already dealt with the press, and by the time they arrived the princess had finished talking with the traitorous guard and was on her way to the Golden Leaf.

The next couple of hours after that were spent dispatching soldiers and medics to transport the wounded, making an arrest, and recovering all the contraband Fort Knox had in his possession. An ordeal that in and of itself was already proving to be tough and long, but to perform it in secret turned it into a very slow process. One that the princess took full advantage of to get a report from the group, culminating with her hearing the confession of Fort on the recording.

"After that, we left the place and came back with the hopes of getting more guards and making the necessary arrest." The prince finished the story before looking back at Celestia who, after hearing the confession, could only sigh and shake her head.

"When we came here, I hoped for the start of a new alliance and an opportunity for a new family member to be introduced into our society. Instead, we will leave with two traitors and even more problems that need to be addressed carefully and in due time to avoid panic." She mentioned in sorrow.

"What is going to happen to them, princess?" AJ asked, a bit worried.

"Naturally, they will be judged and punished for their crimes. However, due to our recent alliance with the changelings, and because of the position Fort Knox holds, his trial, no matter what, will make news and will be exposed almost immediately. So it will have to be delayed for a time." She then looked Applejack dead in the eyes. "But I assure you Applejack, not even the weight of all Canterlot's bits or information are going to save him. His crimes are as clear as day, and any information he might be in possession of will be useless. He will be receiving the maximum sentence."

"Well, I'd say that serves him right, after all he's done over the years," Rarity mentioned in irritation.

The prince then decided to ask the question that has been bothering him since they left the building. "Aunty, do you have any clue what that Alicorn ghost was?" Blueblood asked in wonder, yet she just shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Luna and I only have bits and fragments of the alicorn tribe that precede us. By the time we were conscious, all of them were already gone, so I don't have an answer of what they were." She then smiled and touched his cheek "But it's a mystery that I would be happy to unravel together as a family." She retracted her hoof. "And even though I'm not exactly condoning that you have ventured into almost unknown dangers, scolding or punishing you would just make me seem like a hypocrite."

"Aunty?" Blueblood looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she continued. "If I had been in your position, I'd have probably done the same thing. Despite the dangers, you acted as a true leader flawlessly, wanting to protect your subjects while at the same time trying to ensure peace and avoid panic as much as possible. Let this be a lesson, nephew. The unexpected can happen at any moment in our line of work, so it's important to always keep a cool head and consider your options in the event of an emergency, just like today. You really acted like a true prince of Equestria," She mentioned before using her neck to bring him into a hug. "And for that, I couldn't be more proud of you."

The prince at first was surprised but then he smiled and returned the hug contentedly.

The elements let the two have their moment for a while before Rarity walked toward them in guilt and cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me..."

Blueblood and Celestia end the hug and look back at her. "Yes, Rarity?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know that I already apologized back at the warehouse, but I feel like I need to do it once more now that our lives are no longer in danger by that brute," She mentions with a little smile.

"Come on Rarity, there is no need for you to…" Blueblood tried to stop her, but Celestia in turn stopped him by placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"Actually, she does, Blueblood. No matter the cause, the fact of the matter is that she still raised her hoof against royalty and lashed out without any sort of provocation. It's a major offense towards the crown, and even if poetic justice was served, punishment needs to be addressed," the princess explains in sadness. "I can't just overlook this, not when it comes to my family."

After that, she looked at Rarity with a cold and neutral expression, which was enough to make Rarity flinch and start picturing Celestia like a giant that could squeeze her any second without any problem. "Plus, I also want to hear what she has to say. Depending on what she tells, I will weigh a proper punishment."

"Aunty, please..." Blueblood placed his hoof on her shoulder with a worried expression. "There is no need to go this far, the poor mare has suffered enough and she told me that she already learned…"

"It's ok, Blueblood." Rarity interrupted him by lifting her hoof and looking at him with determination. "This is something I really need to do properly, and the princess is right. I sure wouldn't be calm if a similar situation had happened with Sweetie Belle," She mentioned with confidence before approaching him. "No matter what the consequences are, I will mare up and take my punishment with my chin up."

Her words managed to surprise the prince before he just sighed in defeat and looked down. "There is no escaping this, is there?"

"'fraid not, partner. Just as the princess said, attacking royalty can't just be solved by a slap on the wrist," AJ mentions in sadness. "Don't worry, I'm sure the princess won't be so harsh on her," she told him with a smile, making him relax again.

"That is correct, Applejack. As furious and sad as I am right now, I promise to be completely fair," She responded, smiling slightly.

Nodding in understanding, the prince lifted his head and looked at Rarity, who took a depth breath before speaking. "Prince Blueblood, I just want to say that from the bottom of my heart, I truly am sorry… for the poor treatment I have given you the past couple of days. In my line of work, I have seen others playing the friendly game to take advantage of defenseless ponies and swindle them of every bit they had, and your previous image and actions were the reason it was hard to believe a change in personality on your part. Plus, because of our story together and my propensity to the melodrama, I blinded myself in what I thought I was justifying paranoia, and never once gave you the chance any pony deserved." She ended by giving him a bow. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my rude and un-ladylike actions."

"Of course I do," Blueblood told her, bringing his hoof to her chin and making her look at him. "Now, please stand up Rarity. We are friends, there is no need for you to bow to me. For now, let's try to leave all of this behind us and start again. Just like I offered you."

"I would love that, yes." Rarity smiled a bit at that.

"Even so… I still don't understand why you lashed out so violently, Rarity," Celestia mentioned, still confused by what happened. "It's true that you are not afraid to show your discontent or wariness to others that have wronged you, but unless provoked or enchanted… you've never once had to resort to physical harm."

"I don't understand it myself either, princess," Rarity told her plainly. "Ever since you told us the truth about Blueblood in the hospital, I've been completely on edge, and no matter how much I tried I just couldn't relax or think straight. Not even making dresses, which usually calms me down, helped..." She mentioned in disappointment. "And I really thought that the changeling necklace could offer me a challenge big enough for me to forget the whole ordeal."

Both royal's eyes widened in surprise the moment she told them that. "Wait, wait, wait..." Blueblood lifted his hoof in surprise at her. "You're telling us that all this time, you've been using the changeling necklace as a piece of garment on your dresses?!"

"I wasn't intending to keep it, I swear!" Rarity held her hooves up in defense, a bit panicked by the sudden shift in demeanor. "When we left the hospital, Thorax gave me the necklace, asking me to give it to Twilight so she can keep it safe until you take it back. It was too late at night, so I decided to keep it and then give it back first thing in the morning, but the designs on it, the perfect colour for an autumn line of clothing, the possibilities on formal attire… I just couldn't resist the ideas. And before you say anything, I never activated it," She quickly added. "I just wanted to know how would it look with the correct combination. I succeeded, but the anger was still there, so I thought that maybe I could try another project… and I suppose I kept trying them and forgot that I needed to give it back," Rarity mentioned with a blush of embarrassment. "B-But I still have it, I can return it once we are back at the hotel," She quickly added.

"Oh Rarity, why?" The prince pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head hearing this news. "Now it all makes sense."

"Huh?" She looked at both of them, clearly confused.

"Rarity..." The princess took a deep breath and then looked at her like a disappointed mother. "The reason why the changeling necklace is so dangerous is that when some pony uses it, his or her emotions at the time would flourish and grow according to what they change into, just like its title implies."

"That is why before using it, one must first clear their head and keep calm. If they don't, the necklace will expand the user's emotions to dangerous levels, even if you don't activate it," Blueblood continued with the explanation. "If you were happy you will end up euphoric… if afraid, then completely terrified. If angry…"

"…then furious," Rarity finished as her eyes widened in realization. "Now I understand, the necklace kept feeding my anger and increasing it. I didn't understand what was happening, so I just kept using it, and the cycle just continued!"

"Now I get it, over the past few days, because you were wearing that thing, your fury just kept growing and growing until it reached the boiling point and then you slapped him," AJ mentioned. "No wonder you've been acting so out of character all this time, that necklace was keeping you from seeing reason."

"Indeed, and it wasn't until you stopped using it and talked with Fort that you finally managed to calm down and see what was going on in your heart," Celestia mentioned as she approached the element of generosity. "I'm happy to know that you are safe and understand the reason behind your actions, but I'm disappointed that you were so careless in dealing with enchanted artifacts, Rarity. You could have easily endangered your life."

"I'm so sorry, princess... I promise I will be more careful from now on," She responded with guilt from her past actions.

"For now, we will need to remedy this situation. If you use the necklace so many times, then the risk of lingering magic on you might still be there." She started to prepare her horn. "Stay still, I will scan your body real quick."

In that moment, Blueblood had an idea and stepped in front of the princess."Wait, Aunty."

She stopped and looked at him. "Yes?"

"Before you do that, can I talk with you for a second?" He asked her before bringing her away from the two elements who just blinked in confusion as the prince whispered something in the princess's ear.

"If an opposite emotion is placed, can it counteract the present anger one?" Blue blood asked

"Well, yes. It could be like pouring water on to a fire, why?"

The prince then grinned at his aunt. "If that is the case, then I think I have the perfect idea on how to erase all lingering anger in Rarity _AND_ give her a fitting punishment all at once."

That made the princess smile, intrigued by the idea. "I'm listening."

After explaining the plan, the princess grinned and nodded before the two returned to the elements. "Well, Rarity, seems like today is your lucky day," the princess stated in a calm voice. "Thanks to my nephew's quick thinking, we managed to come up with an idea to help you and punish you at the same time, without being overly severe," She told her with a smile.

"Really?" Rarity looked at both with a smile before flinching and slightly backing away once they grinned and chuckled.

"Oh yeah, Rarity, this is going to be perfect," Blueblood mentioned. "Since the changeling necklace made this mess, we will use it one final time to solve it."

_I have a bad feeling about this_

Rarity gulped at their expression as they continued to chuckle.

Later that day at an ice-cream shop

The group entered the establishment and soon placed their orders, leaving just one to place her request.

"And what would you like, Annie Bell?" The prince asked with a smile as he turned to look at his back to see an embarrassed and blushing Rarity, now turned into a filly version of herself, but with a red afro wig and a brown messy dress underneath a green dotted one, her tail now red, messy and bubbly, making it resemble Pinkie Pie, as well as the changeling necklace and her face even having some freckles on it.

"Just order anything for me," She responded, burying her face in the prince's back in complete embarrassment.

"Didn't you say that you would mare up and take your punishment with your chin up?" AJ goaded her with a raised eyebrow, slightly smirking.

"I didn't think that I would take it like this!" She quickly responded.

"Too bad, because this one was the less painful one. The other option involved a pretty big shot and one of your tushies," the prince responded with a grin as he got the desired effect and Rarity shot her head up and held her flanks in fear. "No! Anything but that! I will do it! I will do it! Just no shot!"

The prince just chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. "Understood, no shot for you." He then look in front of them. "So, what flavor would you like?"

"Uhhh, that one!" Rarity pointed to the most expensive and biggest ice-cream sundae they had, as her inner child was starting to take over.

"Great choice, Annie." The princess nodded before turning to her. "But you know our deal, if you wish for a big ice-cream, you will have to earn it, by doing what we told you."

"Aw, but I don't want to," She whines, crossing her arms, some heat appearing on her cheeks.

"I will ask them to add an extra scoop of ice-cream if you do~" Blueblood sweetened the deal, making her eyes widen and her mouth water "Promise?"

"I promise."

"Ok, I'll do it!" Rarity jumped down from the prince and walked to the center of the room before clearing her throat. From seemingly nowhere musical instruments started to play, which in turn alerted the prince and looked around in confusion. "Who is playing that music?"

Meanwhile, the others kept looking at Rarity. AJ even tried to contain her laughter at what she was seeing.

(Song: The Sun will come up Tomorrow, By Annie, a Broadway musical)

As Rarity continued to sing, a group started to gather in happiness, enjoying the performance, some parents even awwing at how adorable she was looking right now.

"Ok seriously, who is playing the music?" The prince asked, continuing to try to find the source of it.

"Just give it a rest, your highness," Amber told him before handing his ice cream to him. "These kinds of things just happen. I'd say it's the magic itself of Equestria."

"I…see," The prince responds, just deciding to just accept the fact and take the ice-cream in his magic.

_And just when I thought I had this place figured out… Will this world ever stop surprising me?_

He just smiled and shook his head as they continued to watch Rarity's performance. "Well, nephew, I have to say… this was indeed one brilliant idea on your part." Celestia commented with a smile.

"Are you sure nothing bad will happen to her?" Coco asked in worry. "I have never seen Rarity act like that before."

"It's completely natural, Coco," The prince calmed her down. "That necklace is what makes her think like a child, which is perfect since all of her anger is slowly being purged from her body. Perhaps she will act a bit childish for a few minutes after we take it away, but afterwards she will be good as new."

"And why did you teach her that particular song?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is the final part of her punishment, AJ. Believe me, try as you might, that song will be stuck in your head for weeks," He mentioned with a small chuckle. "One last reminder for her to have next time she is trusted with something dangerous."

"Oh." AJ nodded in understanding. "Ok, now I get it."

Once the song ended, everyone in the shop stomped their hooves on the ground cheering for Rarity, who just smiled and pranced to the counter, waiting for her reward.

Meanwhile in Canterlot

Shining Armor rushed through the hallways, heading to Luna's bedroom, before knocking on the door desperately once he reaches them. Soon, the monarch of the night opened the door in fear.

"Mr. Armor, what is wrong? Why the sudden…?"

"I found it!" He quickly interrupted before trying to recover his breath, and then looking at Luna again. "I found out how Blueblood was killed!"


	26. Tectonic Scale News

**Tectonic Scale News**

Once they both ensured that no pony was eavesdropping and various sound and vision spells were cast in Blueblood's room, the monarch of the night turned to her nephew-in-law. "That will suffice. No pony will be able to hear us now." She mentioned as she went and stood next to Shining Armor.

"Perfect! Now we can finally talk properly." Shining chipped in with a nod.

"Indeed... now, what exactly am I looking at, Shining Armor?" Princess Luna asked him as they both stared at Blueblood's bed.

Before responding, the prince walked towards the bed and pulled off the sheets and cover, revealing some sweat in it with a perfect shape of a pony. "Our crime scene, as well as Blueblood's cause of death," Shining told her as he turned to look at her and pointed at the stain in the bed.

The princess looked at the spot before turning her attention to Shining Armor. "You believe that he was... dehydrated to death?"

"At first I thought so, yeah, since this seems like the only thing unusual in the room. No matter how you look at it, at first glance it just seems like Blueblood had sweat a lot, but this level of sweat is ridiculous. With all the fur on our body, we just couldn't make this much... not even in my trips to Saddle Arabia have I ever sweat so much. Not only that, but when I talked with some old guard friends of mine, they confirmed that for the last months Canterlot hasn't had any particular hot nights, so it's impossible for this to have happened naturally. And _that_ is when after further inspection I found out that this was something else." He looked at the sweat stain again and used his magic to levitate a spray bottle and a piece of paper.

"This is not sweating." He sprayed the paper with some liquid and then pressed it against the bed. Seconds later, the paper turned pink and he presented it to the princess with a serious expression. "It's blood hidden as sweat."

"By my stars!" Luna's eyes widened in realization as she looked at the blood stain, which had a perfect shape of her nephew. "All of that…is blood? But how? Doctor Caliber didn't find any injuries or poison in his system, and the maids would have found the blood on the bed sheets, how could that have been hiding?"

"That is the thing, princess. Like I said, it's disguised as sweat. When I registered the room, I didn't find any forced entry on the door or the windows, there wasn't any magic residue other than the maid's levitation, and as far as I've gathered, there has not been any unusual activity in the guard schedule patrolling. Whoever did this simply walked in, released some type of poison, and left as the prince literally sweat blood until he perished from anemia, while the poison most likely diluted or evaporated," The prince explained with a grim face. "It must have been an exotic poison too, since it also made all his blood look like simple sweat to the naked eye, _AND_ after finishing its job returned his body to relatively normal, leaving no trace behind. My guess is that it was airborne and was unleashed here, so it could only work in closed spaces. Otherwise the guards on duty securing his door would have suffered as well, and I already confirmed that they did not. That, or his food was drugged and it required the victim to fall asleep before attacking. In either case, it was a clean job."

"My nephew… he died while sleeping," The princess whispered in shock. "I could have saved him if only I had noticed." She looked down in guilt before shaking her head and looking at Shining Armor with a serious expression. "Good job, Shining Armor. We finally got our first clue, now we know how to start." She started to levitate the bed "I'm going to send this to the royal lab for analysis. With any luck, there is still some residue of the original poison on it. In the meantime, I need you to continue digging around among the royal guards and the staff on duty during that night. No matter how subtle it was, some pony must have heard or seen something unusual during that night. We need to find more clues."

"Will do," Shining nodded, giving her a salute. "But at least with this we can be sure of something. The killer must have know what he was doing, has the means to acquire something definitely shady and most likely expensive, and has a good understanding and layout of the castle… so we can cross out the middle and lower class in almost all of Equestria. Leaves only the staff on duty that night…"

"And the upper class in Canterlot," Luna finished for him, looking down in thought while glaring. "I see what you are saying, Shining, and I agree. We have just reduced 3/4 of our suspect list, and with the reports my spies have given me, I'm starting to picture various strong suspects. We are close to catching the killer now, but we still need to tread lightly if we intend to grab them by surprise." She then looked at him in determination as she prepared her teleportation spell.

Shining nodded and headed to the front door. "Then I will be heading back to work. I think it's time I go hit the bar with some buddies of mine." He then started to smirk. "I'm sure some cider will help them clear their heads and tell me anything unusual they've seen."

"Best of luck," Luna commented as she teleported away with the bed as Shining left the room.

Days later, in the Court of Canterlot

After the initial surprise of the addition of changelings into nobility, Princess Celestia had no other option but to delay Fort Knox's trial until things calmed down a little to avoid associating them with his arrest. Luckily for her, with the aid of the element of laughter and some well-placed news and parties in her city, the unification proceeded as smoothly as putting on a horseshoe.

So even though it was inevitable for the news to be made public almost immediately, the trial of Fort finally arrived without arising any rumours and, despite his connections and lawyers, the outcome was as clear as day. He was found guilty of high treason, illegal possession and selling, contraband, attempted murder, and regicide. There was no way for him to escape, and his only remaining option was a bargain for a reduced sentence. Yet, despite being cornered and about to be sentenced, the stallion in question remained calm and collective during the entire trial, even when his lawyer quit in the middle of it, leaving the poor stallion to fend for himself. That calm demeanor was almost unsettling, and it was definitely irking the princesses acting as judges during the whole ordeal.

Hitting her gavel a couple of times the princess of the day once again demanded order in the court as she proceeded with the sentence of Fort Knox as the jury delivered their clear verdict.

"We declare the accused guilty, your honour."

"Very well." The princess nodded to the jury before looking at the condemned stallion in question. One of his eyes was still swollen, his left front hoof was in a cast, and he was currently wearing a neck brace… all reminders of his last fight against Blueblood. "Mister Fort Knox, before I proceed with your sentence, I will grant you one final moment to speak. Is there one final thing you wish to declare?"

"I do, your highness," The stallion announced before standing up. "Although I applaud your success in bringing me to justice, and I do not deny the jury's verdict, I'm afraid my case is worth a royal pardon." Fort then smirked at the royal sisters. "I'm just too valuable for you to put away." The statement made the entire room explode into angry screams, ponies standing up from their seats and trying to force their way through the guards, who are forced to restrain them so as not to attack him.

"Order! Order!" Celestia hit her gavel repeatedly, demanding everyone to calm down.

"**SILENCE!**" It wasn't until Luna used her royal voice that silence was achieved, and the princess looked back at stallion on trial.

"How dare you demand such an idiotic request," Luna scolded in anger before pointing at him. "What could you possibly have in your possession that makes you so sure that you can have a pass from these kinds of transgressions?"

Fort just chuckled and looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious, your highness? I'm the Duke of information and goods not only of Manehattan, but also all of Equestria. My deals go far and wide in the underworld, and if they were to be exposed Equestria's economy will have a substantial loss!" He declared in confidence. "Making it public will risk our economy grinding to a halt, and keeping quiet means that you have no right to arrest me."

"Why you…" Luna was starting to lose her patience when Celestia put a wing in front of her as she spoke to Fort with a neutral expression. "Your threats are worthless here, Fort Knox. This is not the first time others have tried to intimidate us with wealth, and it sure will not be the last. We are already aware of all your deals and contacts you could possibly offer us, and their arrests will not even phase Canterlot."

The smile on Fort Knox's face wavered a bit, as the princess smirked in victory. "You have nothing of worth, so now it's time for your sentence. Fort Knox, for your actions against the crown and crimes against equinity, I sentence you to be exiled and taken to Gelid Maiden for life, for your rights as an Equestrian citizen to be completely revoked, and to be cursed so that any attempt in returning to your homeland will result in your transformation into a statue forever with your rights as a living being be erased with it." She then whispered to him. "If you return, and as a rock are destroyed, you will be classified as an object." She then looked at the security. "Guards!" She called, but Fort pressed on.

"Wealth is not the only thing I'm worthy of, princesses. My web of information goes even farther than the badlands, perhaps we can negotiate a deal," He chided as guards started to surround him. Celestia raised an eyebrow in disbelief, Fort's demeanor slowly starting to crack as he started to feel scared, and searched for a solution. "Your nephew!" He yelled before shrinking a bit once the room got really cold, and the gazes of both monarchs hardened. "Choose your next words carefully," Luna warned him with venom in her words.

"I know of crimes he's committed in the past! Times where he has abused his status for shallow reasons. More than enough to give you a reason to lock him up! If you put me away, they will be exposed, and then you will be placed in a hot spot. Surely you wouldn't risk soiling your image as rulers?"

"They don't have to risk anything, Fort," Blueblood mentioned as he stood up from his seat next to his guards. "Just like I promised at the press conference, I'm a changed stallion now, and as such I will own and make up for all my past sins, every single one of them." He looked at Fort with determination. "The only thing you will be doing is giving me a 'To Do' list, so please go right ahead. In fact, I demand you expose all of my secrets." He started to glare at him.

"What?! A-Are y-you serious? Do you have any idea what you are demanding? Your title will be dragged through the mud, ponies will see how wicked and twisted you really were, no pony will ever trust you!"

"Then I will build that trust from scratch," He responded with pride.

"Enough of this! Guards, take him away!" Luna ordered, and guards soon grabbed Fort Knox and started to drag him away from the court.

"No, wait! Princess, listen, I'm telling you, you need to reconsider! I'm more worthy here than in Gelid Maiden! Please!"

"There is nothing you can offer us that can be of interest for us," Celestia stated coldly as she and her sister stood up and were about to finish the session. "Case clo…"

"…NOT EVEN INFO ON PONIES PLANNING A REGICIDE?!" Fort screamed, fighting off the guards.

The room went completely silent as the princess was a hair of distance from hitting the gavel as she slowly turned her head to look at him in surprise. "What did you just say?"

"You hear me, there are those that wish to destroy the royal family for one reason or another your highness." He looked at Blueblood with a glare. "Some even with justified reasons..." He then looked at them. "If you are willing to reduce my sentence, I can give you a list of them. My safety in exchange for yours, what do you say? It's a good deal, right?"

Both Luna and Celestia entered a mental chat as soon as they registered his words.

_Sister, he might know about the case! One of the ponies on the list might be the one that killed Blueblood!_

_Relax Luna, we can't be too hasty… it could easily be a scheme to save his fur. Yet we can't just let the opportunity go to waste._

With a sigh, the princess shook her head. "Guards, bring him here," she ordered and put the gavel down as the monarchs looked at him intently. "This is one serious matter you are claiming Fort Knox, you'd better be telling the truth. Lying to us now will result in an even worse punishment," Luna warned him, which caused Fort to gulp.

"I'm dead serious, your highness. At the moment all of them are all talk and no actions since all of you are here, but as we speak they could be preparing for something bad."

Celestia closed her eyes and weighed her options before opening them and then looking at him. "In light of such a revelation, we are willing to revoke your sentence."

"Oh thank you." Fort sighed in relief, letting go of a breath, until Celestia continued.

"But do not relax yet, Knox… we will not grant you a pardon, we are merely reducing your sentence. One that will only be as good as the information you give us." She lifted her gavel once more. "As such, you will be given a will to write down the name and directions of a pony you trust. Think very carefully in your choice, for that pony will be entrusted in looking after you for the next 50 years, while trapped in a small, silver statuette of yourself." Celestia informed, and then Luna continued.

"During that time, we will investigate and arrest the names of the list of traitors you will provide, and this will be your only warning, Fort Knox. If even one name turns out to be false, you will not be placed on a 50 year sentence inside a silver statuette… it will be 500 years one inside a _Wooden_ one, and if the pony and his or her decedents decide to get rid of you and you are destroyed by any means, your death will be placed as lost object."

Fort's blood froze to such cruel treatment as Celestia hit the gavel "Case closed, take the prisoner back to his cell. You will have 24 hours to decide on a will and who will be entrusted with your safety. I advise you to think hard in who will be, Fort," Celestia suggested to him as everyone left the courtroom.

The verdict was spread like wildfire, and was well-known throughout all of Equestria as ponies gasped and looked at their newspaper in shock while reading the final fate for Fort Knox. His family had broken into tears once they received the news of how far their son had gone and even old clients were completely terrified at the implications of his arrest, like the case with Upper Crust and Jet Set, who after reading the newspaper started to sweep their mansion from top to bottom, looking for anything that could associate them with Fort Knox, as well as anything he might have given them that could be suspicious.

"Ok Jet Set, I think that is all. Are you completely sure that we got rid of everything?"

"Uhh… um…" Jet Set looked around their house in worry until Upper Crust held his shoulder and shook him.

"Answer me, stallion! Did we or did we not?!"

"Yes!"

"Good! Now remember, we are the representative of the upper class, sweetie, so we must remain calm," She told him, but she looked like she was telling it mostly to herself. "We didn't try anything against Blueblood, we are not traitors to the crown, and we are not accomplices of any criminals... we are just two more victims of the noble class who were tricked by him." She looked at their reflection.

Jet Set approached his wife. "You are right honey, there is nothing to be afraid of." He gave her a smile and kissed her cheek. "By Celestia, how I envy your confidence sometimes..."

"It's a gift from my lineage," She chirps with pride.

Meanwhile in her own mansion, Scarlet finished reading the news and cut out part of the newspaper article. "_So, old Forty just up and got himself arrested. Well that is what he gets for hurting my sweet prince..."_ She then looked at the image of Blueblood with dreamy eyes before drawing a heart around it with lipstick. _Oh, my poor brave prince, mama is going to make sure to kiss all your booboos goodbye._

She then kissed the image, leaving a mark, and then pasted the article against the wall where other images of Blueblood were spread around.

Meanwhile in a spa resort in Appleloosa

Sharp Shot took a glance at the article before he resumed drinking his cider.

"Anything good?" A female voice called from behind him.

"Fort Knox just got himself arrested," He calmly replied.

"Knox? Knox? Knox?" The mare kept repeating herself as Sharp turned to look at a very fat pegasus mare who, with her light grey mane, overly big wings, and straight and short mane and tail, looked like a living pillow. She leaned on a sofa while sunbathing near a pool, the two being the only ponies at the place. "Did I know him? Ah, doesn't matter, I'll just ask Blueblood once he comes again," She replied, making Sharp Shot roll his eyes as he turned back and continued his drink.

In a cave near the Badlands

Two hooded ponies walked inside, guided by the light of their torches, as they approach a room in the heart of the cave, with electric light in it. A pony that looked exactly like Blueblood with the exception of this one having a black mane and tail as well as being an earth pony, got startled at their arrival before smiling and then sit at a wooden table in the middle of the room.

"Oh, hello there." He greeted them with a calm smile. "Sorry for the mess, but, well…" He looked around his room as the hooded ponies stared at millions of dolls of Blueblood ripped to pieces, the words 'Die Blueblood, Die' engraved on the walls everywhere, as well as various wanted posters with daggers on their faces, and all sorts of weapons spread around on the floor, as well as the recently shredded newspaper. "…I haven't had any visitors in quite some time," He told them in a friendly manner "So, what can I do for you? Anypony you want me to collect?"

The hooded ponies looked at one another before showing him a wanted paper with the image of Prince Blueblood, which caused the stallion's eye to twitch as he continued to smile. "Ok then! Let's talk about prices. What about the special of the day, first one free?  
Hmmm?"


	27. Royal Jester

**Royal Jester**

As the morning rays of the sun bathed the castle, both Princess Celestia and Prince Blueblood had a nice little stroll in their garden as she levitated some books with her magic.

"What are we doing here so early Aunty? Not that I'm complaining or don't like your company but isn't this the time when you are preparing for day court?" Blueblood mentioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Before yesterday, I would have agreed with you Blueblood, but due to the recent events with the noble you captured and that proclamation of groups planning a regicide, security measures had to be put in place and my usual duties put on hold. Until the problem is resolved at least." She mentioned before looking back at him with a smile "Besides, threat or no threat I did promise you that we will study some advanced magic as soon as you recovered, and I intend to keep it."

That caught the attention of the prince "Wait, so you are going to teach me new and more powerful spells?" He asked, getting excited by the idea as his aunt nodded with a smile.

"Indeed, but not here, in the open it's too dangerous, usually I would have just invited you to one of my classes and teach you with all my other students, but since we are under alert right now, it will be safer if we train in secret." She explains as they continue to walk and eventually stopped once they reached the entrance of the labyrinth. The princess used her magic to open a secret entrance tunnel with a dusty concrete road on, the path located on the ground near its entrance. "Only Luna, Cadence and I know about this room, it will be the perfect place to start our lessons," She tells before stepping aside "After you."

The prince nodded before entering the tunnel, the princess soon following and closing the door behind her, before illuminating the room with her horn, revealing ancient pictures of past wars and battles on its walls. "What is this place?" Blueblood asks as they walk through the tunnel.

"The vault of war, Canterlot history and recollection of past battles, wars and conflict that we have endured and overcome since its creation." Celestia explained "Every major event that has ever happen in here has being recollected and painted in this wall so they can endure the pass of time." She mentions as they continue to advance until they reach a spacious and well-lit room thanks to some diamonds that act as a source of light, equipped with training dummies, some weapons, training equipment and a ring in the center.

"And here we are, mine and Luna's personal training room." Celestia tells as she stepped inside and put her regalia on a nearby dummy and the books on a wooden table. "In the past this room served to train unicorns in dark arts, but now I mostly use it when I wish to polish my moves and where no pony will bother…" Before she has time to finish that sentence they hear some humming near them and when they turn around, the two discover some weird snake type of creature made out of what looks to be different animals parts, casually drawing on the walls with some crayons. "…us..."

"Ammm, Aunty do you also see…?" The prince slowly asks as he raises his hoof toward the creature.

"I'm seeing it Blueblood," She tells in irritation before approaching him, the creature seemly ignorant of their presence "**Discord!**" The princess yells in anger, startling the creature and causing him to crumble into pieces before re-assembling in front of her. The acting managing to scare and force Blueblood to back away a little. "Oh princess, you scared me," He tells with a smirk before looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "You know it's rude to sneak up toward others while they are in their secret painting room."

"Secret painting…Discord this place is an ancient room used to train the best warriors Equestria ever had, not your personal studio!" The princess tells in irritation

_Wait a minute, Discord? Discord? Why does that name sound familiar?_ Blueblood pounders as the princess and the creature continue to argue.

"Well excuse me, princess. No pony seems to be using it, and when I saw all those drawings on the wall on the way here I believed this place served another purpose." He then notices that she wasn't wearing her regalia "Although it seems that it serves for more than just training."

Celestia doesn't let his staring bother her as she continues "Those drawings are portrayed of past battles and…" The princess sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose "Discord, please tell me you didn't paint over any of those drawings?"

"Oh tsk, tsk, tsk, Celestia, you think so poorly of me I would never interfere with the work of a fellow agent of chaos." Discord tells her as he appeared wearing a brush, a painting table with some colors and a beret.

After taking a breath to calm down the princess looks back at their unexpected guest much more relaxed. "Well that is a worry I can lift off my shoulders. Now, can you explain why are you here? Normally I wouldn't mind your unexpected visits but today is not a good time."

"Is that so?" Discord looked at her with a smirk while snapping his fingers and returning to normal.

_Wow, how did he do that? Is he like this world's version of the genie?_ Blueblood wonders in surprise at his antics.

"Could it perhaps be related to why Canterlot is being so chaotic recently?" He asks in intrigue. "I took some days off from my busy schedule of bringing some chaos here and there and what do I find when I return? Nobles panicking everywhere? Old laws being revived? A pony transform into a statuette? Honestly Celestia, throwing a chaos party and you don't invite me? I'm deeply offended!" He mentions as he wraps himself around the princess like a snake.

"That's because all of that, was out of my control." Celestia defended herself before smiling "Besides, it couldn't be call a 'chaotic party' if you plan for it, right? So, how can I invite you, when not even I knew what was going on?" Discord was about to respond pointing at her only to be left silent and then unwrapped himself. "Well played."

He then starts to lazily float around the room, rocking himself back and forward on his body, pretending that he was on a hammock "So care to put me up to speed with what is going on?" He tells while closing his eyes

The princess sighed and shook her head. "Is that all you want?"

He pops into existence on her mane. "I will be out of your mane as soon as you explain things up to and how your nephew is now the new hot topic."

"Before we do that, can I ask who or exactly what are you?" Blueblood asked with a raised eyebrow, gaining the attention of Discord as he looks at him with a smile

"Would you like to know?" He appears in the center of the room and levitates the prince before making the drawings he was making move. "Here, let me draw you a picture, it all started when a young and mischievous lord of chaos…" Discord started to explain using a drawing, a version of himself when something makes him stop and he puts the Prince down as he looked at him confused.

"Wait a minute." He stood in front of him and conjured a magnifier which he used to look into his ear. "There is something wrong here, you are definitely the same prince I know and love to prank occasionally, but at the same time you are not. Almost like you are a pony I haven't seen before. You have a new look I can't understand." He tells turning into a monkey and jumping into his hair before checking for lice "New haircut?" He asks looking at the prince face to face.

"Um.."

Before he could answer Celestia picks Discord up in her magic and levitated him away "Ok Discord that is enough, there is no need for you to scare him."

"Me? Scare him?" Discord turns back to normal and looks at her honestly surprise "He is the one that is confusing me!" He tells her pointing at Blueblood and then at himself "ME, The spirit of chaos, how can that, even be possible?"

The princess just sighs and shakes her head "It's kind of a long story, but for now, I think the first thing in order is the introductions." She tells before presenting one another.

"Nephew, meet Discord. An ancient magical creature and the personification of chaos itself." Celestia tells pointing at Discord "He is a…friend of the family." She tells after thinking about it for a brief moment.

"Ah! I get it now, nice to meet you Discord!" Blueblood tells with a wave which just keeps confusing the lord of chaos while also making multiply question marks appear out of nowhere above his head, as Celestia turns to Discord "And Discord meet once again my nephew, Blueblood. He had a recent close encounter with death and well…" She then realized something "Wait, shouldn't you already be knowing all of this? You read the article, didn't you?"

"Oh please Celestia, you really thought that I couldn't sniff out fake news?" He mentions while crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow "Yes I read it, but after looking over all the chaos that it's making, I simply needed to know what was all the commotion." He tells appearing with a notebook and a hat that says 'Press' on it making the princess of the day giggle "I suppose it is kind of pointless keeping a secret from you, isn't it?"

"Yep, so tell me all about it and do not cut corners I want to know every single detail," He tells in excitement as he continues to write in his notebook so fast that it actually catch itself on fire before the ash left behind swirls back towards his hand before reforming back into the notebook.

"Wait!" Blueblood yell startling the princess "I just remembered," He tells with a smile before approaching Discord "A friend of yours told me about you, she said that I couldn't possibly miss you once I saw you," He ponders before looking back at Discord "She wasn't lying."

He just chuckles and poses in front of him "What can I say?" He transformed into a baseball trading card and floats toward Blueblood until he picks it up, Discord talking with him wearing a baseball uniform "I'm one of a kind."

Blueblood chuckle at his antics "And that is to put it lightly, also I have a message for you."

"Oh really?" Discord teleports and returns to normal. "What is it? Did Fluttershy wish for me to bring some new tea? Want to make a nice little picnic in my dimension? Oh! Perhaps she wants to make a play date with Twilight Sparkle?" He tells him constantly teleporting the three to his home, a tea shop, and even Twilight's castle as she brushes her teeth, almost swallowing her toothbrush from the scare.

"Take us back Discord." Celestia tells him with some annoyance.

He rolls his eyes, causing them to fall out and roll on the floor before he picks them back up, but compiles and they found themselves back in the cave. Blueblood laughing at what happened "Oh yeah, you two really are alike, and no it's not Fluttershy who asked me for a favor."

That confused Discord as he turns to him "It's not?"

Blueblood shake his head "Nope, it was Lady Death."

"Lady Death? I don't know anyone by that…" Discord eyes wide in realization "Wait, you mean THE Lady Death? The grim reaper? The mare of a thousand faces? Wears a hoodie and likes to use a lot of makeup?" Discord asks with some degree of worry as he passes his claw on his face and seconds later he looks like he was wearing skull makeup. "THAT Lady Death!?"

"That is the one, although I'm confused with the face thing, she looked like Pinkie when we talked, or that is also part of the 'no logic' thing?" Blueblood ponders as Celestia moves Discord away from him.

"Now you understand why this is not a good moment for your visit?" She tells in sadness "A lot of things have happened and are spinning out of control these past weeks. The biggest of them all was his event with death itself, but the experience has allowed me a second chance, for me to reconnect with my family." She then looked at him with pleading eyes directly into his. "Please Discord, in the past I wasn't there for Blueblood when he needs me the most. I want to make up for lost time."

Discord gets uncomfortable at the display and backs away. "Ok, ok! I get it! I will leave you two alone just stop making that face! Geez Celestia, you only needed to tell me that this was a family thing you were doing." He complains while rolling his eyes multiple times in different directions. "I know when a pony needs a moment. I learned my lesson since the worm incident." He says while shivering a bit from the memory. "Just make sure to tell me the story later, ok? I still want to know what is going on here."

Celestia smile and nods. "You have my word."

"Plus I want you to consider my idea for your day court too, Celestia. I mean come on! Just think about it. A Royal Jester? Say Goodbye to a boring meeting for life." He offers her with a smile as she rolls her eyes with a smile.

"You really want to wear that hat with the bells don't you?"

"No pony should be torture with so many hours of uninterrupted boredom." Discord complains.

"I will consider it." Celestia finally tells him as they go back over to Blueblood who looks at both confused. "Did something happen?"

The princess shake her head. "Not at all, I was just explaining to him why this wasn't the best moment for a visit." She mentions pointing at the books "Nothing against him but due to how advanced the spells are, concentration is needed and we can't afford distractions."

"You know if you want to teach him some new magic I could be of help." Discord offered lifting one of his claws but Celestia stoped him using one of her wings "Don't."

He just rolls his eyes and looks at Blueblood. "Yeah, that and because this sounds boring, I decided to leave for now and come back later but before that, didn't you say you have a message from old Death?"

"Yep," The prince tells with a nod "D asked me to tell you that she is ready to cash in that favor you own her." The prince explains, as the princess slowly turns to Discord with a raised eyebrow "Favour you own her? Why would the lord of chaos own death herself a favor?"

"Oh I could tell you, but look at the clock!" He tells her while conjuring a cuckoo clock that he was wearing as a wrist clock "I'm going to be late for my head polisher!" He tells taking his own head off and starts to clean it like its a bowling ball. "I would love to stay and chat but I have to bounce bye!" Discord then turn into a ball and bounced off the wall before he was swallowed by one of them like it was made of water leaving the prince confused and startled by all that.

"Well…that was definitely random." He says before turning to Celestia who just chuckled and shook her head.

"That is Discord for you, a random and chaotic being that just does what he likes, comes unannounced and loves to play harmless pranks from time to time. But at the end of the day, he is still a kind and good guy you can always count on. He even saved Equestria once." Celestia explains.

"Wait really?" Blueblood looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, I will tell you about it some other day. For now what do you say we start our lessons?" She says with some excitement as she levitates a book and starts to skim through its pages before stopping on one. "Ah here is a useful one, I believe it could help you escape if you are ever encountered by a difficult situation in the future. The 'Teleportation Spell.'" She explains as she goes toward him and shows him the pages.

"Now Blueblood listen closely, in order for you to perform this spell the first thing you need to do is clear your mind and have a mental image of your entire body, try your hardest to not leave anything out."

Meanwhile in the realms of souls

The Discord ball bounced into existence as Death picks it up and start to play with it.

"Discord!" She throws it and the lord of chaos reappeared shaking his head from the dizziness. "Did you miss me?" Death asks poking his stomach "Admit it, you missed me."

The lord of Chaos just chuckled as he looks at her "D, I see you are still as creepily happy as ever." He tells her while being a bit uncomfortable.

"Aw, are you still weirded out that I'm like that pinkie pie character you told me about despite my job description?" She tells him while prancing around him in the middle of the air.

"Yes, and it doesn't help that now you decided to take the shape of her as well." Discord comments making her stop.

"Would you have preferred my other form?" She asks him with a smirk before growing until she is the size of Canterlot mountain and has a black dress ending in fog and a very big hat made of thorns.

**IS THIS BETTER?!** Her booming voice was enough to make everything shake violently.

"Aw! Ok, ok! I take it back! Now change into the other form!"

She goes back to looking alike Pinkie "I knew it." She says with a smirk as she pulls an oz from her mane and used it to draw in the dirt floor the two were.

Clearing his ear Discord decided to follow along. "I meet with Blueblood today."

"The prince? Oh, he is a great kisser!" She tells with a giggle before looking at him "So I imagine that he delivered my message?"

"Yes." Discord nods as he floats to look at her face to face. "So you finally want some chaos in your life, eh Death? I knew you would eventually get bored of all that partying of yours."

"Ah? Nah, I'm living the dream Discord! And I love it! I just need your help with a small project I gave the green light to." She tells not looking at him as he finishes with the drawing.

"Some old friends want to go for a visit in Equestria." She explains pointing at the drawings on the ground making Discord raise an eyebrow in intrigue "Them?"

"Yup, but you know the drill. I can move souls, but can't give them solid bodies like you can, so what do you say Discord? For old times sake, would you help me give them a solid body for a bit?" She asks him with hopeful eyes.

Discord thinks it over before responding "Well the idea of them walking around town certainly sounds like it could be very chaotic, can we invite more ponies for the party?" He asks with an evil grin.

"Nooooo!" D tells him still in her cheerful matter.

He sigh and shake his head "Such a waste, fine I will help, but after that, we are even."

"Yay!" Death tells as she lifts her oz and from it, a white light starts to shine as three souls go and merge with the drawings on the floor.

He then thinks of something "And now you will owe Blueblood a favor."

"Oh I don't mind owing him a favor." Death tells while continuing her incantation "He is not _that_ kind of naughty as you are." She tells with a giggle making Discord flinch.

"Honestly Death, sometimes even I don't know what is passing through that head of yours, and that is saying something." Discord mentions as he grabs her oz and lends some of his power to her.

The eyes on the three drawings open as they start to rise from the ground.

Death blocking the view of the three figures as she looks behind and smiles "Foreshadowing!"

* * *

The chapter 28, 29, and 30 will be posted September 18, in case you wish to read it earlier. Visit my page on 


	28. A Moment Of Peace

**A Moment Of Peace**

As the end of the day approached, Prince Blueblood gasped and tried to gather his breath before attempting the teleportation spell one more time. "Ok…okay I'm ready."

"Oh no, you are not!" Celestia scolded the stallion as she walked to him, the ring around the two looking like a war zone after their training. Ever since they started, the prince had put all of his effort into trying to master the teleportation spell, having success in taking and moving small objects around him with a radius of almost 30 miles. Unfortunately, when it came time to try it on himself, the magic kept short-circuiting and dispelling with a massive force before the spell could even begin, resulting in the prince being hit and tossed into the air as if a hot air balloon exploded in his face. Nevertheless, the prince persevered and continued trying, much to the displeasure of his aunt, whose worries kept growing with each failed attempt. "Blueblood, I told you, advanced spells have a higher risk of drawbacks, you can't force these things!"

"But auntie! I've almost mastered it!" Blueblood complained as Celestia put a wing on top of him.

"And you will in due time dear, you're already making a lot of progress, and you can take solace in knowing that you managed to understand how to teleport objects without any problem." She faced him with a caring smile. "There is no shame in failing from time to time. That is why we are here, after all. Teleporting an object and teleporting a living being, especially yourself, are leagues apart when it comes to difficulty, so it is normal that you will need more time."

She let him go and stood back. "Do not push yourself too hard, that never helps. Everything must come at the right time. Even Twilight needed years of practice before perfecting this spell." Celestia explained as she put everything back in order.

The prince just sighed in defeat at her words, wanting to argue back and try to cast the spell once more… and yet, he knew it was pointless at this point. His stamina was almost gone, and he didn't think that there was much magic left for him to spare.

Noticing his expression, Celestia brought his head up. "Let's stop for today. Tomorrow, we can continue."

That surprised him. "But auntie, your duties…"

"...Are on hold, I told you. We are on alert now; royal court and my regular duties have been cut in half. Besides, I'd rather get behind on some paperwork than force perfection on you; we all learn at our own speed." She told him with a smile, the prince just nodding and picking up the books while Celestia put her regalia back on, both heading back to the entrance.

As they walked, the prince opened the book on teleportation with some interest. "Even so, I'm still confused..." He told her before looking back at the book. "I keep doing everything the book tells me to do, so why isn't it working?"

"Perhaps it's because you are looking at the problem all wrong," Luna replied, appearing at the entrance of the vault and taking the book away with her own magic. "Greetings, nephew."

"Aunt Luna!" Blueblood rushed to her and gave her a hug using his neck as she did the same.

"What are you doing up so early, sister?" Celestia asked, approaching the two with a raised eyebrow as Luna ended the hug.

"Early?" She reciprocated the same expression, before looking up and then looking at Celestia with a neutral expression. "Tia, it's almost time for you to lower your sun." Luna proclaimed, pointing up with a hoof.

"It is?" Celestia asked in shock as she looked up. "By my stars, it is! Did we really spend all day practicing magic?" Celestia couldn't hold in her surprise.

Luna simply nodded. "You did, and left me to explain to the entire castle staff why you just vanished into thin air!" Luna exclaimed with a glare. "Honestly Tia, I understand that you want to start teaching magic to our nephew in secret. But if you're going to do a disappearing act, you need to form a plan and give a reason why you were gone to our subjects."

"I'm so sorry Lulu, I really thought that Blueblood and I would only be there for a couple of hours at most," Celestia responded with some embarrassment. "I suppose… time flew by without us noticing."

"Indeed it did." She then noticed the state Blueblood was in at the moment. The stallion's mane was messy, he was practically covered in sweat, and was gasping occasionally while his horn was discharging sparks occasionally.

"By my stars Tia, what were you teaching our nephew? Transmutation magic?" Luna questioned with a worried tone as she turned to her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"It wasn't her fault, Aunt Luna," Blueblood explained. "Aunt Celly just wanted to teach me how to teleport myself, but I just couldn't do it at first. So I kept trying and... well, it looks like I overdid it."

"I see." Luna nodded before looking at Celestia with a neutral expression. "Let me guess, you wanted to stop him but he kept telling you that he could do it?"

Celestia could only chuckle nervously with some heat on her cheeks, making Luna sigh and shake her head. "Tia, you seriously need to learn when to say 'no.'" Luna told her in disappointment before turning around and heading towards the castle. "And you were worried about me teaching him how to use a flame sword..." she added under her breath before looking back. "Now let's go, sister, it's time for me to bring the night and then meet Cadence and Shining at the train station."

Celestia nodded and closed the entrance of the vault before following, but before they walked too far, the prince rushed ahead of the two and got in their way. "Wait!" He told them before gasping for air from the sudden movement.

"Yes, nephew? What is it?" Luna wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I was wondering… since you are here already, would you please show me how you move the sun and moon here instead? Please, just this one time?" He asked them while scratching one of his hooves and trying his best puppy eyes on them.

The royal sisters looked at him for a moment before they smiled and approached the prince. "I am sorry nephew, perhaps another time." Luna apologized.

"Aww, why not now?" Blueblood asked in sadness.

"Because our ritual of lowering and raising the day and night is something special and powerful enough, that it would blind some pony if they caught a glimpse of it unprepared," Celestia explained. "That is why we have a special celebration for our citizens to look at us perform it. It's not only a tradition, it's also the only moment in the year where our celestial bodies are far away enough from the planet so they can't hurt anyone."

"Wow, it's really that powerful?" Blueblood asked in shock at the revelation as Celestia nodded in confirmation.

"For a brief second, our bodies shine with the radiance of the stars we move, nephew. We even have to cast powerful shield spells on our rooms so that we don't accidentally obliterate them each time we end and start a day. A spell similar to the one we cast on Twilight when we had no choice but to relinquish our magic to her once." Luna continued. "I hope that this helps you understand why we can't just show you our daily ritual, much less when you are clearly this tired."

"Yeah, I get it now," He droned dully.

"Do not fret nephew, like my sister says, there is a day in the year where you can watch us perform our duties without any problem. When that day comes, you will have a front seat." Luna told him as she charged her horn. The prince was startled for a second when he saw his body being surrounded by magic. "For now though, why don't you go take a quick shower and then meet us at castle entrance? You wouldn't like to give your cousin a sweaty and smelly goodbye hug, would you?" Luna gave him a smirk, making the prince blush and look away with a smile.

"Yeah, that just sounds unpleasant for both sides..." Blueblood agreed as he is levitated back down. "Well, in that case, I will see you soon!" He waved goodbye to the two before being teleported back into his room, scaring Clean Breeze and Silver Treat, who were in the middle of a makeout session before his appearance.

"Your Highness!" Clean cleared her throat and stepped away from Silver before grabbing a feather duster and starting to work on a coffee table. "I-I-I was just, you know, cleaning the room a little."

"Uh, y-yeah, me too." Silver added as he started to make the bed, both doing their jobs at a rather fast pace.

The prince at first could only blink in surprise at the image before relaxing and chuckling. "Guys, guys, please..." He went to them and made them stop what they were doing, bringing them to the center of the room. "It's okay, but you could have chosen a more secluded place to kiss. That being said, I will not get mad at some pony for an expression of true love."

Both maid and butler only kept staring at the ground, their faces red from embarrassment. The prince just shook his head and rolled his eyes at that. "I will pretend nothing happened, okay?"

"Celestia bless you, your highness;" Clean immediately bowed in appreciation.

"Don't mention it. Now go on, you lovebirds, before you get in real trouble with the head butler," He warned them with a smile as they nodded and trotted to his door. "Oh, and you better save me a piece of cake from your wedding, you hear me?" He joked as they left, suddenly freezing both ponies in place.

Silver was the first to recover and look back at him with an even redder face, but still managed to chuckle. "I'm not so sure my alpha mare is ready to add a new member to the herd, your highness," He declared with a chuckle as they both left.

"Herd?" The prince was left confused by that as he continued to ponder those words. "What's a herd?" Blueblood asked mostly to himself as he closed the door and headed to his bathroom.

At Canterlot Train Station

"Please take care on your trip," Luna told her niece while hugging her.

"I will, Aunt Luna," Cadence responded with a smile.

"Are you sure it's best for you to leave? The list Fort gave us is a bit big... perhaps it will be better if you remain here until we can cross some of them off it." Celestia offer Shining, who was playing with Flurry, before he looked back at her.

"It's okay, princess; it's not like we're going back to the Crystal Empire or anything. We are simply going to pay a visit to my sister for a couple of days," Shining explained as Luna ended the hug, and then moved over to Shining Armor, bringing him into a hug while at the same time placing Flurry on her mother's back.

The whole thing caught Shining off-guard but nevertheless, he accepted the hug. Celestia noticed how Luna cast a charm spell on him. With a raised eyebrow, Celestia looked at her sister, who simply smiled and made a quick mental link.

_Just in case._

Celestia rolled her eyes while Cadence continued. "Yeah, we will not be gone for too long, we will simply ask Twilight to look into you-know-what..." She subtlety gestured towards Blueblood. The princess, understanding the implication, nodded. "... and then we will return. Plus, she invited Flurry and me to see one of her friends' magic acts. I think her name was Trixie. According to Twilight, her show is spectacular." She looked at the two of them with a smile.

"She is right. I myself have seen one or two of her shows before, and I can guarantee you that she is quite entertaining to watch."

"That is great to know," Cadence comment and they shared a quick hug.

After saying their goodbyes to the princesses, Cadence moved towards Blueblood with a smile.

"Well cousin, I hope things go better there than they did here," Blueblood mentioned with some guilt knowing that he more or less threw a wrench into her original plan when they arrived.

Cadence only rolled her eyes at that. "Blueblood, just shut up and come here," She ordered him, and open her arms for a hug.

Accepting her invitation, he went to complete the gesture. "Take care, Cadence."

"You too, Bluey," She chirped with a chuckle as they ended the hug. "And please, don't blame yourself for what happened. Yes, I'm sad that one of my cousins is gone…" She looked away in sadness before smiling again. "... but I'm glad that I had the chance to meet a new one. One that I hope to get to know better, once we resolve all this mess." She lifted his head with a caring smile, Flurry also hugging him and nuzzling his cheek.

"Nothing would make me happier, Caddy," Blueblood commented, touched by her words as they parted.

"All aboard," The train conductor called out, he himself on the verge of tears while looking at the family.

"Well, guess that's our cue. We should be going now," Shining stated, picking up Flurry and boarding the train.

"We'll see you all soon!" Cadence joined her family and waved goodbye before the door closed and the train began to churn and move to the end of the station.

The royal family waved goodbye until it trundled out of sight.

"And they there go..." Celestia mentioned with a sigh.

"Don't worry sister, I cast enough charms for them to easily walk through a war zone unharmed," Luna mentioned with confidence.

"Thank you, Lulu, that actually helps," She then looked up at the stars in wonder. "I just hope we can solve this mess quickly. All this talk about groups threatening to harm my family is really putting me on edge and I just want it to end."

"We will solve it very soon auntie, I'm sure of it," Blueblood reassured her with a smile, helping to calm her nerves.

"Thank you, nephew." At that moment, the three of their stomachs decided to grumble in unison, startling them and putting some heat on their cheeks.

"W-W-Well, since we're all here now, what do you say about going out for some dinner?" Celestia inquired, being the first one to recover.

"I could go for something," Blueblood replied with a smile.

"Oh! Rarity once recommended me a very good and recently opened restaurant near here. The food can be a bit spicy, but she told me that it's actually pretty good, not to mention actual regular food instead of those bunny bite that a lot of restaurants insist, 'it's a real plate.'" Luna explained, making air quotes.

"Sounds good to me, I always enjoy trying something new." Celestia then turned to Blueblood. "What do you say, nephew? Would you like to try out that restaurant?"

"Sure, sounds exciting!" The prince exclaims with a smile as the three royals walked back to the city with their soldiers waiting at the entrance, including Amber and Stellar, before heading to that new restaurant. As they walked, the prince remembered what Silver Treat told him and he looked back at Celestia. "Auntie, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Blueblood, what is it?"

"What's a herd?" The prince asked innocently, but the moment he did, the princesses and his two personal guards stopped in their tracks and had a thousand mile stare.

"Auntie?" The prince poked her side, worried as to why she suddenly froze.

Little did they know that a familiar unicorn mare with light pink fur and a red mane also took notice of his question. She was casually drinking some tea at a nearby coffee shop.

_My sweet prince charming hasn't even had 'the talk'?_ She thought in surprise before glaring for a second at Celestia. _Princess Celestia, how could you?! Depriving him of such a wonderful and magical experience..._ She suddenly smiled and licked her lips as she looked back at the prince. _Don't you know how vulnerable that leaves him for depredators?_

"Uh, E-e-excuse me, miss Lips?" The voice of a stallion caught her attention, and when she turned, on her left, the mare found a teenager earth pony stallion probably no older than 15 years old, with blue fur, a basketball cutie mark, a spiky green mane and tail, and a sports jacket, holding a single red rose in his right hoof and a copy of one of her books in his left. He was shaking like a leaf and sweating bullets while trying to form a sentence.

Smiling at the display, Scarlet turned around and waited patiently for the stallion to collect his thoughts. Said stallion had just mustered up the strength to speak up when she raised her hoof.

"Stop." Standing up, Scarlet took a step toward the poor pony, making him flinch and back away. "I'm so sorry honey, but it would never work, you are not mature enough for me." She apologized to him with a small smile and noticed how the poor stallion's ego deflated in front of her, the pony looking down and appearing to be on the verge of tears.

"Oh, don't be so sad. You showed bravery just by the approach with this flower." She mentioned, stroking his ego as she took the rose. The stallion looked at her in shock as she glanced at him with slightly closed eyes. "So to show my appreciation for such bold fan, I will give you a hell of a consolation prize." She put the rose in her mane and very slowly approached his ear before whispering things to him so intense, the stallion's face was almost starting to shine for how red it was becoming.

Once done, Scarlet gave his cheek a small kiss and took his book and a quill from her purse, before sighing, using her lipstick as ink. "You have an alpha mare, sweet cheeks?" She asked the stallion, who slowly shook his head no, still pretty shocked with what was happening.

"Oh, we can't have that, can't we?" She faked surprise before using her magic to turn him around and give him the book back. "See that nice mare at the counter?" She pointed at the bartender. "Go there and tell her exactly what I told you."

The stallion slowly nodded as he walked over to the bar, mostly reacting instead of thinking. Scarlet chuckled at the display.

_Oh, sometimes it's just that easy,_ She thought as she shook her head and paid for her drink, before leaving the establishment.

_And now, it's time for mommy to hunt her prince..._ She mused with a predatory smile, walking in the direction the royal family went with a sway of her hips.


	29. The Royal 'Talk'

**The Royal 'Talk'**

As Princess Celestia kept playing with her food, she took the occasional glance at her nephew who kept looking between both her, and her little sister whilst eagerly waiting in anticipation for the 'Royal Talk'. Luna, in a fit of sheer panic, had promised him such, once they had arrived to the establishment.

"Well?" The prince asked the two expectantly "Can you tell me now?"

"Nephew." Princess Luna fiddled with the food on her plate and tried in vain to come up with the right words. "You need to understand, what you are asking us... It's not something so simple, there is a lot to take in, and a lot of history to cover. Didn't you study any of this while you were in Ponyville?"

The prince looked at his aunt with a neutral expression. "Aunty Luna, we were kids."

"Right" Luna nodded in understanding. "Well you see the subject of a herd is something quite big and beautiful…that my sister is better suited to explain to you!" Luna quickly explains, passing the responsibility and his attention to Celestia, who's eyes widen in terror before glaring the power of the sun at her sister. "It's all yours Tia."

"Thank you, Luna!" Celestia replies with a cold voice as she magiced up a temporary mental link with her sister. _Coward_

The princess of the sun then turned her attention to her nephew and cleared her throat. "Well Blueblood, you see, a herd is the name we use to describe a romantic relationship with a group of ponies. Due to our unbalanced birth ratio, often times it involves a single stallion and múltiple mares." She goes into her teacher mode as she pointed to a group of three mares surrounding a single stallion on the far corner of the restaurant, all of which were laughing and chatting. "That, is a perfect example."

The prince turned around to look at them as Celestia continued her lecture "To start a herd, first the stallion courts a single mare, who'll be known as the Alpha Mare. You can always recognize an Alpha Mare by the pony that stays to the right side of the stallion." The princess explained as Blueblood noticed how the mare on the right of the stallion was the closest to him and was leaning her head against his neck.

"Leaning against the neck of a stallion also proves that she is the alpha; it means that she's willing to protect him with her life, no matter who she's faced against. Being an alpha mare is considered a great honor when it comes to the inner circles of a herd." Luna continued as the prince turned to look at her. "To be an alpha mare, is to be an equal with your stallion when it comes time to expand the herd or when discussing decisions that effect the herd." She pointed a hoof to another group of ponies except this one looked like they were interviewing a mare, with her head kept low and another mare keeping a critical eye on her.

"A stallion in a herd is free to court other mares outside his herd, engage in dates and even going so far as to kiss the candidate for the herd, excluding the act of mating or any sort of foreplay however…"

Blueblood remembered the incident in the morning at the mention of that. _So that's what they were doing..._

"…but when the moment of truth arrives, the decision must be accepted by both the alpha mare and her stallion." Luna explains as the lead mare of the group smile and nodded. The mare that was being interviewed raised her head and cheered for joy, as both mares hugged and the entire restaurant cheered from the outcome, making the princesses smile.

"That mare just got accepted into the herd, and now she can truly join in their love, and have the satisfaction of belonging to the group". Celestia commented with a caring smile before looking at her nephew. "Do you understand now Blueblood?A herd is nothing unusual it's just a part of life here in Equestria" She wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"I think I understand, but what happens if a mare wishes to leave a herd?"

"The group would usually give her a goodbye party, to let her know that she'll always be appreciated and loved as a friend. They would also sometimes give her some bits as a farewell gift, but if the alpha mare is the one that goes, then the herd is dissolved, and the entire group has a waiting period of six months before reforming in honor of the alpha. In that time, the parties involved can join other herds if they please, or the stallion would choose a new alpha from the previously selected mares." Luna explains. "It's a bittersweet thing to happen, but not uncommon.  
Like herds with the same sex, which are rare when it comes to males herds due to the birth ratio, or a polyandry herd, which are the ones that had more than one stallion in it. Please don't ask us about how the alpha mares work there, even I get confused at times trying to unravel it." Luna begged lifting her hoof before the prince had the chance to ask.

"Ok, so in total there are three types of herds?" The prince wondered as he counted them out loud. "A normal herd of one stallion various mares, a homosexual herd which are all stallions or all mares, and a polyandrous herd which are like a regular one but with more than one stallion." He counts and his aunts nod in agreement.

"And of course there's also the simple relationships." Celestia added.

"The simple relationships?" The prince raised an eyebrow at that comment .

"Not all ponies want or like to be in big groups nephew. So they oftentimes settle with an agreement of faithfulness to their partner and remain as a single couple." Luna answered for her sisters. "Like the Twilight Sparkle family for example." She gives him a reference, "Night Light and Twilight Velvet could have easily picked another mare, to form a group and start their herd, but their love for eachother was so great, that they decided to stay true to only one another."

"You've also met another couple like that Blueblood, do you recall the owners of sugar cube corner?" Celestia inquired.

"Oh yeah, nice couple, their kids were adorable too." Blueblood remembered their meeting with a smile. "Although Pumpkin really liked to put my hoof in her mouth for some reason." The prince chuckled at the memory, something his aunt soon shared.

"Well, they're a perfect example of a simple couple too. And nowadays it's concept as common as forming a herd afterall, love is free, and it can and does take many forms in our world. So no matter the end result, Equestria will always accept any and all types of relationships on their lands." Celestia proclaimed in pride making the prince smile. "Be herds, simple or even interspecies, which is for example, a pony and a griffin".

_That's so beautiful, there's no such thing as discrimination or intolerance here! You can truly be whoever you want to be…well perhaps being a gay male, which could be a bit hard…but that is more because of the birth ratio problem, rather than that of hatred. But overall this world seems really nice and tolerant!_

"And that pretty much covers it, did you have any other question Blueblood?" Celestia wondered aloud as she looked at him.

"I don't auntie, thank you explaining." The prince shook his head, making the sisters smile and internally sign in satisfaction, for not having to tell him the in-depth the 'birds and the bees' talk. Now more relaxed, they picked up their glasses and started to drink in peace.

"So…have you ever been in a herd or a relationship before?" Once more the prince asked innocently and just like that, their peace was once again shattered as they spat out their drinks and almost choked in the process.

"N-Nephew! T-that's…kind of personal" Luna exclaimed in alarm and with an extreme blush as she coughed and tried to recover from the shock.

"Ah, come on, tell me! Do I have two uncles I've yet to meet? Do I have more aunties too? Would I meet them all on the next holiday?" The prince kept adding more questions to the princesses which only served to further increase their discomfort until Celestia came up with an idea, and smirked as she turned to her beloved sister.

"Well Blueblood, I'm afraid that's another important subject that your aunt Luna is much more qualified to talk about." She offered with a smile as she placed her wing behind Luna's back.

"Me?!" Luna immediately turned to her sister in shock as Celestia just lightly pushed her forward.

"Don't be so modest Lulu, go ahead. Explain to him how our situation as royals work." She coached with a caring smile. Luna slowly glared as she saw behind her sister disguise, and could clearly distinguish how she was mocking her.

"You really know how to hold a grudge, don't you sister?" Luna mentally scowled before turning to face her nephew and sigh in sadness.

"Unfortunately for us royals, the path for romance and companionship is far more complicated and often times sad". The princess's mood dropped as she explained.

"What?" Blueblood looked at both, confused and shocked at that revelation.

"It all started with an old law made during the ruling of queen Platinum. During that time Equestria was facing all sort of mighty foes who would stop at nothing to achieve their goal to conquer us, including harming our loved ones. So to prevent this, any ruler of Equestria would be forbidden to seek a partner or a herd and instead would be assign something called 'a royal concubine group.'"

"Ah, a concubine is…" Celestia started explaining but Blueblood stopped her by raising a hoof.

"Don't worry Aunty I know what a concubine is, but that sounds horrible!" He exclaimed in shock, Luna nodded solemnly .

"It is. It was cold, methodic and soulless. Yet it delivered its two objectives; keeping our enemies guessing and ultimately dropping the idea of seeking out our loved ones…and preserved through our bloodline." Luna mumbled with a small blush.

"By rotating the partners and even placing them in other herds. Our offspring could be saved in case of war. And for my sister and I, offered us a chance to hide as another mares if the worse came to happen, with a solid backstory to present. Luckily for us, we've never been forced to execute such plan." Celestia continued. "And rest assured, the moment Equestria found itself in peace and we were in power, we worked really hard in altering that old law."

"Alter it? Why not destroy it?" Blueblood pondered with a raised eyebrow.

"As soulless as it was, it was and still has some merit to it, and more important. Keeping those power hungry politician and nobles in their places." Luna rolled her eyes and chuckled at the memory of past love letters. "We changed the part of the government assigning us the concubines and instead; we ourselves are free to choose whoever we please."

"We also made a rule/condition that we can't take a mare or stallion from an already existing relationship, be a herd or a simple couple." Celestia continued.

"Mare or stallion?" The prince was confused for a second until he saw both of his aunts smiling with some embarrassment "Oh! I see" He smiled and chuckled. "You were not kidding when you told me that you love all of our subjects, weren't you?"

"Nope." Both sister replied with pride.

"And finally, and this one is something we are particularly proud to add into that old law, 'If a prince or princess address his or her concubine as an alpha mare. That concubine will became a royal and obtain the same power on royalty as their partner, and the other concubines became the royal consorts.' But only after three years has passed, and the concubine has received royal training, education and examination from the guardians or parents of the prince or princess" Luna concluded.

"Ah, I get it, like our own version of a herd then?" Blueblood mentioned with a smile.

"Precisely. We might not be able to engage in a traditional relationship, but rest assure. Obtaining it is not out of our grasp." Luna responded.

"But that means that Shining Armor started as…"

"…A concubine? Technically speaking yes that was the correct term to describe him." Celestia nodded. "Yet it was a title that was short lived. Cadence and him kept their relationship a secret and were very careful when meeting up until their wedding, but it was clear as day that he was almost immediately her fiance. Shining was the love of her life and a pony that earned our respect for it, so when they came out of the shadows, we skipped some of his lessons on royalty behaviour since his time as captain covered must of the subject"

"Ah so the education training can be skip?" The prince ask with a raise eyebrow

"Only if we say so, and inspect his education levels" Luna responded with Celestia nodding in agreement

"Anyway, returning to us, even when we've had company in our past, neither Luna or I have found that special pony for us. We simply love all of our subjects too much. Those encounters, have been more of need instead of desire. Like an itch that only gets worse if not scratched, that's why we've had to ask other races to help us with our 'itch'. We simply can't stop looking at our subjects as anything other than…well our subjects. Ponies that entrust their life and safety to us and we are more than willing to provide it." The princess finished with a sigh.

"Cadence has the same problem too, perhaps even more with her being the princess of love." Luna continued. "That's why Shining is someone that surprised us. So far he has been the only pony thats managed to break free of the 'subject zone,' he was the only one that made her look at him as something else, something closer and more intimate. And we weren't fools, we knew our niece would never pick a jerk as a partner, so when it came time to tell us, we welcomed Shining Armor with open hooves." Luna concluded with a smile.

"Wow." That's the only thing the prince could say to that revelation "And that means that if they wished, they could start a herd now?"

The royal sister simply shrugged. "Technically speaking they could, with Shining Armor becoming the 'alpha male' but again, getting out of the subject zone is something almost impossible to achieve. So it's very unlikely; besides I think they prefer to remain as a single couple if you ask me. And I know what you were about to say Blueblood and no, so far in all of our life, neither Luna or I have found that pony that's made us look at him or her the same way Cadence looks at Shining Armor." Celestia responded in pity.

"Aw, but that's so sad, are you really telling me that you've never once felt that kind of love?"

Luna started to chuckle and brought her hoof to her muzzle. "Oh I wouldn't say never, Tia used to had such a big crush for our magic teacher when we were younger."

"Lulu!" Celestia turned to her with a blush.

"Oh don't try to deny it, Tia, you always drew his face and put a heart around it in your notebook each time we had lessons together with him."

Celestia smirked and crossed her front hooves. "That's rich coming from the mare that kisses a signed poster of Flash Magnus each day before going to bed."

Luna's eyes immediately widened and with a blush glared at her sister. "That poster was a gift from you Tia."

"Which I gave you, so you could stop spying on the poor stallion during his sparring sessions." She argued back with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly Lulu, I was starting to fear you would follow him into the showers."

"Oh like you were so innocent back there 'I just thought I dropped my pen under your desk Mr. Starswirl'." Luna mocked her, doing a poor impersonation of her sister.

The prince just laughed at their argument until he found his plate was now empty "Well I think I'll go fill my plate!" He informed them and prepared to leave, until Luna stopped him.

"Nephew, before you go there is one more thing we need to tell you. This might sound cold and unfair but the rules of royal partners includes you too. Maybe even stronger since you're our only direct descendant which means, that other rulers could potentially demand that you marry their offspring as an offering of peace and friendly relationships."

"Which I would do all in my power to prevent." Celestia added angerly " I will not whore my family off for a deal, not even if it guarantees peace for Equestria." She said to him with complete determination, before looking to him in worry. "Yet, its not an impossible outcome, unfortunately."

"And that is why we need to tell you. No, insist for you to remember. We will not oppose the idea of you seeking romantic partners, we even encourage it, but we ask you to please, if it arises, to be careful and stay alert. A lot of noble mares would love the chance to be a princess and take advantage of you and unfortunately… Celestia and I just can't just kill them all." Luna warned to him.

The Prince gulped and nervously chuckled at that "Y-you are joking, right?"

Luna kept silent with a smile for a bit, before slowly nodding "Yeah…joking" She respond, averting her eyes from him before talking again "You can always break up with them and remove their status, however there are potential dangers that they could create, so be on high alert and remember to keep that in mind, ok nephew? " She finished by giving him a relaxed smile which only served to make things even more scary.

"I-I will aunt Luna, I promise to be extremely careful if I ever find that special mare for me." He nodded in determination.

"Good, that's calmed me down...now you're free to go." Luna nodded to let him go as she and Celestia continued to talk.

As the prince advanced to the salad bar, he thought very carefully about everything he'd just heard.

_Things here are so different from that on earth...It's almost ironic, that the ones that make the rules are also the ones that have the most difficulty in finding true love? Will that happen to me? Aght!_

The prince held his head in pain with one of his hooves.

_Thinking of all these rules is really making my head hurt. Maybe I should just stay away from the subject altogether, after all, it's not like I find any mare attractive… I haven't gone full native yet_

The prince simply chuckled as he reached the bar and was about to grab some mashed potato when his hoof accidentally touched somepony else, reaching for the same.

"Oh sorry I wasn't paying attention, please go…ahead?" The prince apologised as he turned around, until, he got a good look at the mare in front of him, which left him shocked and confused.

_She looks just like…_

"My, what a gentlestallion." The mare chirped with a small smile as she served some food onto her plate. "And what a surprise it is finding you here, your highness, the palace food starting to get too dull for your tastes?" She joked around with a smirk on her muzzle.

"Ah, n-no. It's nothing like that miss, my family and I were just experimenting with some new food, that's all." The prince commented, now more relaxed, making the mare giggle for a bit.

"There's nothing bad with experimenting a little from time to time, is there?" The mare replied with a wink as she offered her hoof to the Prince, "And please your highness, just call me Scarlet."


	30. Traitor Season

**Traitors Season**

As the days went by, the royal sisters didn't waste time as they embarked on a campaign to bring down the various groups who were plotting against the crown, using Fort Knox's list as a guide. The list was, to their displeasure, disturbing in its length and accuracy.

Said list included a wide scope of collaborators, from immature teenagers with enough bits and contacts to build a small army of mercenaries with delusions of power, conquest and carnal pleasure involving the princesses. All the way to expertly organized and founded cults with misguided ideologies of superiority on their respective race, bloodline or noble status. All of which, culminated in the belief that only they themselves were fit to rule the three tribes. They may speak of noble causes but if one judged these ponies by their past actions, even if they had not involved the crown, any creature would agree that they were nothing less than monstrous.

Needless to say, the whole ordeal left a deep wound on the princess's hearts. Both from the discovery of this new face of their beloved subjects and from the tense and hostile atmosphere the knowledge brought between the Royal family and the noble class.

The once strong bond was now fragile and on the very edge of breaking. A solution was needed and soon. As the third week came to a close, it seemed like time was running out. A concept that had been stewing around within the prince's head. It kept on distracting him, even during a sparring session with Amber, leaving him unable to dodge a magic blast that barreled straight on into his chest, which threw him, bodily into the air a good distance before skidding across the ground until grinding to a halt.

While recovering his wits from the attack and shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, the prince turned to Amber, who approached and offered him a helping hoof. "Sir, if I could speak freely, that was just pathetic," She admitted in disappointment as the prince stood up with her help "Even a colt could have dodged that last attack. And I've seen what you can do in the past, so don't even try telling me that you are still learning." Amber chided in anger before her face turned into one of concern "You're clearly distracted, what is wrong your highness?"

"It's nothing," Blueblood mumbled as he turned his head in sorrow before starting to walk away until Amber blocked his way.

"I think we are past that, your highness." Amber pressed,

"I said it's nothing!" Blueblood lashed out and shoved her to the side before continuing on his way, only to take several steps before coming to a halt. Sighing "Sorry for lashing out Amber, it's just…ever since the trial of Fort, things have been going from bad to worse around here, Canterlot is in a crisis, and I can't help but feel responsible for it," He confesses, slowly turning to look at her.

Amber took some steps closer to him and extended her hoof into the air. "My prince you know that if something is bothering you, you can always…"

"…Aw, you are done training? Such a shame, I always love watching, you two perform such incredible shows" The voice of Scarlet interrupted Amber and when they turned to their right, they saw the mare in question approaching them with two towels being guided by Stellar, who was keeping an eye on the noble mare with a neutral expression.

"Oh hi, Scarlet" The humor of the prince soon turned cheerful as he went to meet her halfway and after accepting the towel, gave her a quick hug with his neck which she gladly accepts. "So glad to see you"

"So I heard from all my admiring fans" She proclaimed with pride, making the prince chuckle and roll his eyes.

"Always the modest one, I see" Blueblood quips as the two shared a laugh. "So what brings you here Scarlet? Not that I am complaining or anything but I thought you were still hard at work on your next book." The prince questioned with some intrigue.

"Indeed" Amber loudly proclaimed as she got in between the two and took the other towel. Stellar moving next to her, creating an improvised wall in between the noble mare and Blueblood. "What business do you have with the prince, Ms. Lips? I'm sure you are aware of the high alert the castle is currently under and how, because of that, meetings with nobles must be brief." Amber explained to Scarlet with an intense glare.

The whole situation though just succeeded in confusing the prince. "Amber what are you…?"

"…Standard protocol your highness," She quickly responded. "We apologise for our rude behavior but, after what happened last time, we rather take some extra precautions."

"Well, I had my fair share of experiences with wary mares against the idea of me chatting with their stallions, but this is the first time it has ever happened with a guard," Scarlet states to them with a smirk. "Don't you trust me?"

The prince could hear how both guards just growled like wolves at Scarlet, which just made things even more confusing for him.

Deciding to put an end to this debacle, Blueblood managed to squeeze through between the two and stand in the middle. "At ease you two. No need to be so hostile," The prince ordered his guards with a smile. "It's Scarlet we are talking about, remember? That mare has been and still is helping us ever since this tension with the nobles started. We owe her a lot for managing to keep peace on the streets despite all this recent chaos."

"Blueblood darling, it's ok," Scarlet calmed him by placing a hoof on his shoulder, Amber staring at the action like a hawk. "Old Amber here is just being a good soldier and I understand where she is coming from. With this whole situation between the royals and nobles, of course, all of your guards would be on edge when any visitors came to the castle,"

She explained before backing away. "And that is exactly the reason for my visit."

"It is?" Blueblood inquired, followed by Amber who repeated the same question and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The guards took the opportunity to place themselves on either side of the prince.

Scarlet giggled and gave a nod "As I was about to tell you before being interrupted by your guard. I have been working hard on my next book when out of the blue, a sudden spark of inspiration for a scene came to me, that would be just perfect for you to use," She explains in overly dramatic excitement. "The incident with Fork has left you wary of all of the noble class, as well as leaving us unsure that we can truly trust the crown once again. We need a way to clear the air and reassure both parties that we are still friends and what is happening is only targeting those with wicked intentions wishing to hurt us both."

"Yeah!" The prince exclaims, starting to smile at her words. "That is exactly what we are doing."

"We need a big act of friendship and goodwill, for all to see!"

"Yeah!" The prince nodded and took a step further toward her.

"We need…a party." Scarlet finally announced.

"Yeah!…wait, what?" The prince cheered for a moment before looking back at her, confusion evident on his face only a moment later she pulls him into a one-legged hug and turning so they can both stare off into the horizon.

"Just picture it, Prince Blueblood; the noble and royal families mingle together in peace, letting all our questions out into the open to be answered at long last."

"Ah, actually that sounds reasonable." The prince pondered her words.

"With you and your family standing tall and proud in front of all, proclaiming to all of Canterlot that, despite the incident, our friendship is strong and powerful and you will not let those traitors ruin it."

"Yes, that could work."

"And most importantly, taunting all who defy you. Sending them a message to remember: 'We are here, and we are not afraid.'" Scarlet whispered into the prince's ear.

"Scarlet that is perfect!" The prince let go of her and started to pace back and forth. "A party could be a good way to end all this built up tension. My aunties could finally have the moment to breathe that they really need, and we can calm everyponies nerves all at once." He exclaims in excitement as he starts to picture things progressing before stopping abruptly with a look of fear slowly beginning to dominate his expression.

"But a party can't just happen. We need to reserve the place, send out the invitations, and check the security…"

"One step ahead of you darling," Scarlet interrupts him in a sing-song voice before passing him a pamphlet that the prince takes in surprise.

"The memorial to the Pillars of Equestria?" The prince read it out loud before looking at her with a questioning look. "Doesn't this sound kind of depressing?"

Scarlet chuckled and shook her head. "No you silly colt, read it again." She replies with a playful smile. The prince was still lost until Amber approached him to clarify, "The Pillars of Equestria are not dead your highness."

"What?" Blueblood shifts his gaze to her in surprise. "Then why…"

"We will explain later, but the important thing is, this memorial was originally held to pay homage to heroes of the past…Though it doesn't make much sense now though, so its existence is somewhat superfluous."

"Exactly!" Scarlet exclaimed.

"The memorial service has been canceled, but thanks to a certain novelist…" Scarlet added, making no effort on being subtle while referring to herself "…The venue where it usually takes place, and the catering for it, is still ready. It's basically a party waiting for a theme to arrive. Which means…?"

"…We can use it for the event without any problems!" Blueblood finishes for her and rushed to Scarlet, before enveloping her into a hug. The guards could not help but feel jealous at the action. "Scarlet you are a genius!"

"Oh I know, but don't let that stop you from saying it." She giggled out as she enjoyed the hug while taking a covert glance at the guards before smirking and nuzzling her face against the prince's neck, daring them to stop her.

The guard's eyes twitched in rage as they tried their best to maintain their composure, while the embrace lasted.

"Oh! I have to do so much now. I need to tell Aunt Celestia about this, and send the invitations, and see the place. I-I need to write some letters." He exclaimed frantically.

"Blueblood, calm down." Scarlet stopped him before he had a panic attack. "First of all, why don't you go talk to your aunt about the idea while I start working on the invitations?"

"What? Oh no! Scarlet, I couldn't possibly ask you to do…"

"I insist, trust me when I say that it is better this way. The nobles are more likely to hear me out as opposed to the princesses at the moment, given the current tensions." Scarlet explains.

The prince thought it over for a moment, "Maybe you are right, but you should go through the list with Aunt Luna present at the very least. So she can know exactly who is coming." The prince offered.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Scarlet acquiesced with a smile.

"Well!" Amber and Stellar moved to get in between the two again. "If that is all, I'm sorry Miss Lips but your time is up, you should be going…now!" She ended the sentence with a glare toward Scarlet, Stellar's own expression a near perfect match to her own.

"Oh, of course, I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome," She told the two guardponies before giving the prince a small bow. "Until next time your highness."

"Sure and sorry for all this. You know the high alert and all."

"Totally understandable." She assured him with a wave of her hoof before turning around and starting to walk away "Ta-ta darlings. Let's us hope our next meeting is more…friendly" She calls out to the guards.

"That will be awesome" the prince agreed as he waved her goodbye while some other guards escort her towards the exit. Once she had departed, Blueblood sighed and looked back at his friends.

"Ok, I will give you one chance to explain yourselves." The prince's tone left no room for an argument while his expression settled into a neutral mask while looking at both "The moment Scarlet arrived, you both have been nothing but rude and cold toward her, and I want to know, why?"

"We were only doing our jobs, your highness," Amber quickly responded "Stellar and I both made a vow to protect you from any harm, no matter what form it takes."

"And you think that Scarlet Lips is one? She is a novelist for Equestria's sake!" Blueblood scolded them both, causing the guardsponies to flinch "Not only that, but she is also one of the few remaining noble ponies that have stuck by our side in our moment of need. She has defended us when other nobles thought that we were taking justice into our own hooves and were just taking power away without rhyme or reason. She acted as a true friend should. Does that not even deserve a little bit of trust?"

"We apologize, Prince Blueblood, but we simply cannot take the risk" Amber shook her head in determination.

"Oh, but it is worth running the risk of destroying our cordial relationships with the noble families beyond repair and watching as Canterlot crumbles down around our ears on its own?" Blueblood retorts

"We didn't intend…" Amber began to try and defend her actions but couldn't find a suitable counterargument for that statement and let her words die off. The prince just sighed releasing some of his anger with the air before shaking his head.

"Ladies I get it, with the Fork incident plus this open season on traitors, cults, and cultists, you are both understandably stressed out. Anyone would be,"

"What? No! Your highness I assure you Stellar and I…" The prince interrupts them by lifting his hoof for silence before Amber or Stellar could say anything else.

"Amber it's ok, There is no need to act tough around me. I get it, I'm also exhausted and hoping for some breathing room now more than ever, yet I can't rest yet, not now." He confided to them in shame as he looked back at the castle "It's my fault Canterlot it's cracking in the first place, so of course, it needs to be me who fixes it, as soon as possible. That is why I cannot stop," He looks back at them. "But that doesn't mean you two need to share the same burden."

The eyes of the guard pair widened at the implication. "Prince please don't!" Amber pleaded in alarm, her partner matching her expression. "Don't push us away; we are more than capable of serving you!"

"Relax I'm not dismissing you," The prince quickly reassured them, calming them both as they let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"But you clearly need a moment to clear your heads, so I will be giving you the rest of the day off."

"What?" Both look at him in astonishment while he only nodded.

"It's clear that I have been pushing you both too hard and too far, so by all means, take the rest of the day off to stretch your legs, go explore the city, or do whatever other things that would help you relax."

"But your highness! Your protection…"

"Amber, I will be fine," The prince slowly explained to her as he moves to the side. "The palace is almost completely locked down, there are guards everywhere, and I don't have any plans to leave for the rest of the day. Do not worry about me and for once, think about yourselves and your own mental health. That is an order."

Amber wanted to argue back, but a pat on the shoulder from Stellar and a subtle shake of the head from her friend made her understand that it was a lost cause. So, with no other options available, she had no choice but to salute and comply with her orders.

"As you wish your highness."

"Trust me, it's for best." The prince finishes with a smile.

The guards gave him a final small bow and left the palace.

Later that day in a park in Canterlot

While Stellar was calmly meditating on the ground, her partner was busy taking out her frustrations on a tree with a picture of Scarlet Lips pinned to it in an attempt to vent off some of her frustration.

"That mare is a menace Stellar! I just know she is!" Amber gasped out in anger and exhaustion before looking over to her partner, who nodded in agreement. "Who does she think she is? Marching into the palace and get all cozy and touchy-feely with our prince?! If she really wanted to help then why does she keep taunting us?"

Her partner just kept on nodding.

"She is plotting something Stellar, I don't know what, but I know she is."

Her partner just turned to look at her with a neutral expression

"What? You know what her game is?"

She nodded and then pointed to a couple sharing an ice-cream together. Amber eyes went wide in dawning horror "No, oh HELL no! She is not going to turn into the prince's alpha concubine!" She yells in rage and hit the tree once more. "Tartarus itself will freeze over before I let that happen."

Stellar placed her hoof on Ambers' shoulder and looked at her in concern. Her friend, understanding the message, just breathed in and out until she finally relaxed. "Yeah I know, we promised the prince that we would relax," Amber then look at her friend. "But we still need to do something about it."

Stellar nodded and began to mull over her thoughts until an idea popped in her head. "Blind date" she eventually whispered out in a raspy and low voice.

"A blind date? You mean like set the prince up with a mare we choose?" Amber asked her with interest. Her friend replied with a simple nod.

"That…that actually is brilliant!" Amber exclaimed with a smile as she turned to her partner. "Our prince may be too naive and kind to realize what game he is unknowingly playing with Scarlet, but we can prevent him from making a mistake by setting him up with the right mare before that horse can make her move," Amber smiled in excitement before starting to think. "The mare we choose needs to be loyal, and friendly, but also strong and a natural leader. Somepony that matches his indomitable spirit, a pony like…Captain Spitfire!" Amber exclaims in excitement, "She would be perfect for him."

Stellar interrupted her by putting her hoofs on her chest and shaking her head, before making a projection of Fluttershy with her horn and pointing at it. "What? You think the element of kindness would be a better match for him?"

Stellar nodded with a smile before making more projections of the two playing with animals, then talking with children and finally the two dealing with nobles with a smile.

"Stellar don't get me wrong, Fluttershy is sweet and kind, and I understand what you are saying. Someone friendly, calm and nice would make the prince happy. But she is simply too soft, our prince is a natural leader. His alpha concubine then, of course, would need to match that aspect. Thus, Spitfire is the best choice."

Stellar kept shaking her head and continued to point at Fluttershy with even more vigor.

Amber just smirks and crosses her hooves. "Well it looks like we are at an impasse then, and there is only one way to solve this."

Stellar also smirked and nodded.

"Double-blind date; we invite the two mares to the party and see who the prince chooses, while also keeping Scarlet as far away from him as possible.

Stellar nods in agreement and they both bump hoofs. "May the best mare win."


	31. Plans At Sunset

**Plans At Sunset**

"No, that is possibly the worst idea I have ever heard!" Princess Celestia exclaimed in anger as she and Blueblood continued to walk throughout the hallways of the castle. Moments before that, the monarch of the day was finishing working on some paperwork in her room. Usually she would be doing so in the throne room, but due to the high alert and tension that Canterlot was facing, security was forced to be increased and protocols had to put in place. Even though she was partially relieved that day court was temporarily canceled, she couldn't help but feel slightly paranoid and angsty for all the arrests she and her sister had to enforce.

So when her nephew appeared and asked for a moment of her time, the princess was more than happy to accept, taking full advantage of the opportunity to stretch her legs and get some fresh air, even more so when her day was coming to a close and the vast majority of her work was complete. As she continued listening to the idea Blueblood had to offer, she was more than willing to give it a try, right until he mentioned who had come up with it.

"Aw! But auntie, don't you see? This is could be the opportunity we need. Our current relationship with our ponies could be described as tenuous at best right now. Ever since the castle went into lockdown, our citizens are starting to feel like they are being ignored and fear that at any moment the guards could take anyone away under the suspicion of being traitors without any evidence." Blueblood argued back.

"I would never do such barbaric thing!" Celestia replied in shock. "I love all my little ponies and respect their rights, neither I or my sister would never take advantage of the law that way, perhaps bend it slightly and compensate and ask the proper permissions if needed, but only if it is absolutely necessary. We are not tyrants"

"I know and I love you for that auntie but your subjects need to hear you say and prove that, you have to understand, all this thing that happens with Fort Knox has put all of us on edge. Now more than ever, we need a solution to help us all relax, and what better way to relax than with a party?"

"A day spa, some therapy, meditation, a stroll in the park, some music, either playing or listening to your favorite composers, watching a nice movie…" The princess continued to list until the prince stopped her.

"Ok! I get it!" Blueblood shouted at her in frustration. "There are others methods. But we could use this one that could serve on a grander scale, and let all the ponies know that we are still the same rulers they know and love."

"Blueblood, it is not that simple, we can't simply invite all the nobles here in the castle, smile, offer them some cake and ask them to like us once more." Celestia tried to reason with him. "Besides we are on alert for traitors, how could it be wise to invite our citizens to a party when we just finish arresting all the members on Fort list?"

"Because it will show all of Equestria that we are not afraid and it will take more than a piece of paper to destroy our bonds of friendship with the noble class. Furthermore, it will be a perfect opportunity to show them that we haven't gone mad with power and we are still the same as ever." The prince pushed his point home. "Also there is no need to worry about the invites; Scarlet insisted on taking care of them and guaranteed us the arrival of every pony we invite." He mentions her with a smile, causing the princess left eye to twitch in barely contained anger.

"Oh did she? My, My, what a good friend..." Celestia informed him with a practiced smile.

_By Faust's sake Scarlet, I don't know what sort of brainwashing you put my sweet nephew under, but I swear if you ever touch one hair on his mane…_

"Auntie?" The voice of the prince manages to snap the princess back to reality.

"Yes Blueblood?" She simply asked pretending nothing happened.

"I was asking if you are ok for us to at least give it a try? She agrees to review the guest list with aunt Luna, and we can double check the security to calm you down. At the end of the day though, we don't lose anything with at least trying right? Do they want an audience and a chance to speak their fears? So let's give them just that. Please!… I could wear the changeling necklace for a day and we can have a mommy and son day in exchange~" The prince offered in a sing-song voice while giving her his best puppy eyes. The combined effect of which made the princess do a double take at the expression while mulling over the idea.

_A mom and son day in exchange?!_ The princess' heart starts to warm up as she could picture herself and Blueblood having a normal day as a family with her, pretending to be simple pegasus as a mom, and carrying an infant Blueblood on her back, an idea like that was just too good to let it pass. Shaking her head to clear any lingering stray thoughts, the monarch sighed in defeat and lay her head down. "Ok Blueblood, you win, we will give it a chance. I still have concerns, but you do raise a valiant point and if we play our cards right, it could help us put all this mess behind us."

"Yay!" The prince throws a hoof into the air in victory.

**"BUT!"** The princess stops and raises her hoof into the air. "Only if you agree to my conditions for it."

"Yeah, of course. Anything." Blueblood stops and nodded at her exclamation.

Meanwhile at Twilight Castle

As time continued to run at a snail's pace, the royal siblings kept staring at a mare with gray fur, a simple green dress, and a purple straight mane and tail. Said mare continues looking at a probe with a liquid on it, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever. Ever since Shining Armor explained the situation to Twilight, both of them had been working non stop to find out what substance could possible make a pony sweat blood so clean and efficiently. Yet, no matter what they tried, all their tests and trials lead them on to another dead end. Even with their combined experience, knowledge in the royal guard and access to a wealth of knowledge on all sorts of subjects, neither of them were experts on the field they required.

Fortunately, with the findings they discovered, Twilight was able to find out that whatever it was. It was related to some sort of natural mineral. And she knew just the mare to ask when it came to minerals; Maud Pie, Pinkie Pie's older sister who not too long ago had graduated from Rock University.

The hopes of the princess rose when Maud agreed to take a look and keep their meeting a secret, yet they had started to wain after the second hour with the mare just staring at the tube without saying anything.

"Well…?" Twilight finally asked, unable to keep the suspense any longer. "Do you recognized it what is on it, Maud?"

"I did recognize it immediately princess." Was Maud's simple reply, turning to look at them, her expression never changing. "It's a mineral, that comes from a rock, a very therapeutic one"

"Wait, did you say therapeutic?" Shining asked in shock as Maud simply nodded.

"Anthracite Somnium Coal. Or as it more commonly known as; Dreamer rock." Maud explained as she pulled out a pitch black rock in the shape of a pillow from her pocket. "I have one too." She scrapped the edge of said rock and put the resulting dust in another empty tube before filling it with water and swirling it gently. The solution contained within changed color to be the same as the probe Twilight had shown her. "See?"

The siblings nod once they notice the change. "And would you say that this type of rock could kill a pony?" Shining asked with interest.

Maud shook her head. "This rock is not too hard to find, any pharmacy sells them, and they are generally used as a sleep aid by ponies with insomnia. You simply scrape its edge and burn the powder. the smoke it produces has been noted to induce drowsiness in ponies."

"What about in big doses?" Twilight inquired, but once again Maud shook her head. "That will only put anyone in a real deep sleep. Perhaps capable of sleeping right in the middle of one of my sisters loudest parties."

Both siblings laughed at the joke.

"That wasn't a joke," Maud replied, making them stop. "You would need to powder the whole rock to do that, after that, no matter how much rocks you scrape the effect will be the same. Additionally, the effect would only last six hours, at most. This rock is pretty harmless." Maud finished and put the rock back on her pocket.

_I don't get it. If the rock was so harmless how did it make Blueblood bleed to death?_ Shining Armor thought in worry.

"If anything was lethal, it must have to be the other component." Maud suddenly interjected.

"Other component?" The siblings exclaimed in shock.

She simple nod and point to the probe once again. "The main component of this solution was the rock, which has been concentrated to achieve its maximum level of efficiency, but there was a second component, one I didn't recognize. So it wasn't one of a geological nature." She explains to them.

"Let me see." Twilight takes the tube and picked a sample, that she then placed on the stage of a microscope.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Shining asked Maud while his sister was hard at work trying to discover the other elements contained within the sample.

"I was trying to see if I recognized it. That is why I was staring for so long." Maud replied calmly.

The prince sighed in defeat at her answer before looking at Twilight. "Anything Twily?"

"I think so…but it's hard to tell. It's very small and it is so little on it. I was forced to use a spell that illuminated the mineral elements just to see it." Twilight responded. "Maud, how did you manage to notice something so small?"

"I didn't." She once again replied. "I just saw something else mix with it."

_Well, all things considered, this is a breakthrough. We still don't know how that kills Blueblood, but at least we know why he couldn't fight it. That dream rock must have kept him from waking up until the very end_ Shining thinks while crossing his frontal hoofs.

"Sorry that I can't be of any more help." Maud apologies with the same neutral expression, "My major is in finding, identifying and categorizing new types of rocks, not in their chemical components and how they work."

"It's ok Maud, you already did enough, we should be the one thanking you for help us find more about this mysterious substance," Twilight replied with a smile.

She nods and starts to walk away before stopping and looking back at the two. "If I remember anything else, or find some pony that could help I will let you know. Goodbye Princess Twilight and Prince Shining." She gives them a small bow and then keeps walking, leaving the siblings alone.

"Well, we at least now we know where to start." Shining comments with a sigh, and then headed to a desk and picked up a scroll and quill. "I better write the princesses about our progress."

The princess nodded. "I will go look if I have any books about chemistry, and see if there something about Dreamer Rocks, and how they could be used as a weapon," Twilight replied, exiting the room as both siblings went back to work.

Meanwhile at Upper Crust and Jet Set mansion

While admiring the setting sun and enjoying a cold beverage, Scarlet smiled and leaned on the edge of her friend's balcony while a noble couple played some chess near her. "Don't you love it when everything falls into place?" Scarlet inquired her friends as she admired the sunset.

"I still don't get all of this is Scarlet." Upper replies, confused by Scarlet's scheme even as she beat her husband on another match. With the game finished she turned her attention to the other mare. "Why are you going this far for a shot with the prince? You already befriended him and got his trust, why don't you just make him yours already?"

"Oh Crust, you poor naive mare." Scarlet shakes her head and looked back at them. "What kind of game will that be if I just do that?" She probes her with a smirk.

"Game?" Jet looked back at her confused.

"The thrill of the chase, the excitement in defeating rivals, the taste of victory after a grueling battle." She lists while slowly walking around them. "All those little things that would make my conquest all the sweeter." She paused for a moment to sigh in delight, looking at the distance with dreamy eyes.

Shaking her head, she looks back at the two. "Plus, a good love story has obstacles for the protagonist to overcome, and when I have the prince's heart on my hoof, I will be able to write my best work yet. Oh, I can feel it, this upcoming book will be my magnum opus!" She proclaims in pride.

"You know, Scarlet. If the three of us form a herd I could give you enough material to work in an even better book." Jet Set offers, approaching the mare.

"You?" Scarlet look at him in surprise before chuckling. "Oh Jet Set, you make the funniest of jokes, a mare joining a herd of nobles? Cliché much?" She shakes her head before pointing at the castle. "Oh no darling, a mare rising from humble beginnings and ending with the unconditional love of a prince?" Now that is a book who title would be enough to give any mare goosebumps." She explained with a shiver.

Jet look away in anger. "Yeah, sounds like a good title." He mumbles in anger.

"Oh don't be like that Jet" Scarlet cooed while she tilted his head up with a hoof so she could see him. "Upper Crust has a glamorous and appetizing pair of flanks that would make any mare jealous." She casually comments, making both nobles blush hard.

"And if you really wish to try the herding game, then by all means, let's take advantage of this party, I love playing matchmaker," She tells them in excitement as she shakes her flank. "I know of several mares that have been checking you out Jet." She grins wolfishly and begins to giggle as she watches how his blush keeps increasing before turning to Upper Crust. "Would you like to know their names, honey? See which mares could be good enough for you? Know which one could make your names truly remembered?"

"Y-Yes?" Upper answers, unsure of what was happening.

"Great!" Scarlet abruptly shifted away from the two and return to her usual cheerful self. "Then I will tell you **AFTER** we make our move"

"I still think you are overcomplicating things, Scarlet. Even if you wish to put obstacles for yourself, why do you want to earn the prince like this?"

"Because it needs to be poetic. That prince has been my white whale ever since I lay eyes on him. First by being the unreachable prince that all mares yearn for while growing up, then by becoming the prideful brat who looks at everything as inferior, and needs to be trained. And now as this new kind and friendly teddy bear who is just perfect to be hugged." Scarlet start to drool at the memory. "The beast has become mellow and intelligent, now it only needs to be tamed." She finishes with a smirk as she looks back at her friends.

"And once I have my leash on it, you two will take his status and position, and will be placed right beside the princesses. Just like we agree upon."

"Yeah." Upper Crust smiled at the idea. "Now we are talking."

"And what about the others?" Jet raises his point in intrigue. "Sharp Shot has been rather quiet ever since the princesses started to hunt for traitors, and other than all those interrogations the princesses disguise as 'tea parties' and force us to participate, I haven't heard or seem much of him."

"Oh don't worry about that grumpy soldier. I already sent him a letter and he already told me that he will be there…and he is bringing a very important guest with him." She informs them, her smile turning malevolent

"Who?" The couple asked, now more than ever intrigued about this new development, as the sun finally set. "The only other mare who was present during all of our beloved prince's childhood, and it's possible the one to be responsible in turning him into the brat we once knew and used."

Scarlet tells while admiring the rising moon. "Clean Sky, the renowned owner of all of the best and most popular spas in Equestria…and Blueblood's official godmother." She announced, making the couple gasp at the revelation.

"Rejoice, my friends, the day for us to have the spotlight is almost upon us. Our unity makes us untouchable, and with Skies as our ally, the prince soon will be ours. And all the benefits that would come with it." She picks a nearby glass and raised it into the air.

"For a new and better future!"

Crust smiled and pick another glass. "For royal statues!" She announces.

"For a useful prince." Jet Set adds as well with a smirk.

"Cheers!" They exclaimed and hit their cups in happiness.

At that moment at Sugar Cube Corner

Pinkie Pie was happily humming a tune while working restocking the fridge when a bolt of pain made her stop suddenly in both surprise and annoyance. Looking back at her flank she adopts an expression of concern.

_A pinch on my cutie mark? I have never had this Pinkie Sense before, but I know that is something bad, something mean, and that I need to stop it!_ She looks at Canterlot through a nearby window with concern. _And it coming from Canterlot._

She hums as she works, even though unsure of what to expect or what would it be expecting her when she arrived.


	32. Clash Of The Party Planners

**Clash Of The Party Planners**

With the upcoming party only days away, everyone in the castle was hard at work ensuring that everything would be ready for the event. Some would wonder about what was looking more and more like a second Grand Galloping Gala. Others were curious as to what this unexpected and brand new event would turn out to be a, and a third group was just about ready to burst from the excitement with the prospect of having fun and experience a new type of party. With a confirmed guest list twice as long as any other, this was going to be the largest party Canterlot has ever seen.

Such was the excitement of a certain pink pony who, by the request of Princess Celestia, became the co-party planner for this event alongside Scarlet. This was much to the noblemare's displeasure, who quickly learned that her partner was possibly the most stubborn mare she had ever met when it came time to make any decision for this social event

Shaking in anger, Scarlet stopped talking with a pair of waiters to address her co-worker who just set off another of her dreadful confetti bombs, which she was unfortunately caught in the blast radius of. Taking a deep breath, Scarlet calmed herself down before she turned and approached the mare. "Pinkie darling, I was under the impression that I had already told you that confetti will not be needed for this type of party." She addressed her, holding a practiced smile.

"Ah come on Scarly, not even a little bit?" Pinkie pleaded, going so far as to use her puppy eyes. Yet even in the face of this onslaught, Scarlet remained neutral before sighing "Walk with me, dear."

Turning around she started to trot through the castle with Pinkie in hot pursuit. "Tell me, Miss Diane…"

"I keep telling you Scarly, just Pinkie is ok" Pinkie correct her.

"Such a waste for a refined name, but as you wish, tell me Miss Pie, with such a refined and well-studied knowledge on the subject of parties, I'm sure you can answer me this, what do you think is the purpose of a party?"

"To have fun, duh." She quickly answered, to which Scarlet just chuckled.

"Well, I'm sure that, that is a factor. And it's probably the case for the parties you are more familiar with planning Pinkie. Unfortunately, for nobles, a party such as this has a much deeper meaning."

"Really?" She asks in surprise while Scarlet nodded.

"It's quite true. A party is for us nobles is an intricate game of intrigue and maneuver; we bluff and flirt, we are seen and speak but more importantly, see and listen. Deals and secrets are struck and discovered all while the music plays, and everyone dances the night away." Scarlet paused upon seeing the confused expression on Pinkie Pie's face. "Let me rephrase that, in other words. Do you like to play hide and seek?"

"Yep."

"Do you like to play hoof-ball?"

"Yep."

"Well, you don't play hoof-ball when playing hide and seek, don't you?"

"Of course not silly that will give my hideout right…oh!" Pinkie stops what she understands what Scarlet was implying.

"Exactly! And that is what I need you to understand, it's nothing against your type of parties, I'm sure they are quite a delight to be around, and I would be more than happy to assist you with one of them, but this event, unfortunately, it's not that type of activity Pinkie."

"Aww" Pinkie sighed in disappointment as Scarlet patted her on the head "Don't be sad honey, I'm sure we can find a way for you to enjoy the party as much as we do, and look at the bright side, you are stepping out of your comfort zone and planning a new and different type of soiree. Isn't that in itself exciting? You could add 'high-class party planner' on your resume."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So do we have an understanding?"

"Yep, this is not my usual type of party" Pinkie replied.

"I am glad we had this conversation. Now, why don't you go and help the catering staff with the food, while I go see if the ice sculptures are…" Scarlet commented conversationally as she turned around, ready to leave the party mare only to stumble back a step in shock when she sees the pink mare in front of her with a giant smile again.

"But this is not your usual high-class type of party either, Scarly!" Pinkie exclaimed, as her co-worker busied herself by looking back and forth between her current position and where she had been but a moment ago in total confusion.

"Ah…how did you…you were…when did you…?"

Before she could say anything else, Pinkie brought her into a hug using one hoof. "Don't you remember what the princesses told us? This is not a high society party or a regular type of party. It's something called a Masquerade Ball, a new and daring type of party that Bluey invented himself, so commoners and nobles mix together in dance, games, and masks." She said while taking one of the masks off a table and putting it on before she dragging Scarlet into an improvised dance. "A party where we all equal and can have fun seeing the wonders of both classes," She tells her with a smile.

"Well yes but…ahem!" Scarlet pulled herself free from her companion's hooves and cleared her throat "As you say, it's to be a balance between both types of parties, we must be careful not to go too far in one way or another right?"

She points to a cadre of distinguished musicians entering the room "This event required the finest in entertainment and decor…"

"Without forgetting the games and snacks~" Pinkie countered, gesturing to a table being prepared with cakes, candies and all sort of sugary treats.

"Oh, most definitely not! This is a special event, not a birthday party" Scarlet growls out her temper building.

"It a party, not a snooze fest." Pinkie counters back. "Admit it Scarly, we have enough of your fancy stuff, let's start putting in the fun stuff!"

"We need, class."

"Games."

"Class!"

"Games!"

"Another heated argument, I see." The voice of Blueblood caught the attention of both mares before they quickly turned to see the prince fast approaching. "It's so lovely to see you both still have such passion for this project even when it's about to start."

"Blueblood darling, I'm so glad to see you." Scarlet went to give him a hug only for Pinkie to rush in and make it a group hug, much to her displeasure.  
It was something the pink mare often did, and it kept her from getting more close to the prince. At first, Scarlet thought that the pink menace was another potential rival in love but the more time she spent with Pinkie, the less sense she seemed to be making, much to her confusion and annoyance. It felt like somehow Pinkie was dragging her into a bizarre and confusing friend zone with her and the prince, and not even the kinky type. That was an idea that both frightened and angered Scarlet to no end. Yet she was determined not to let this set back keep her from her ultimate goal and professionalism.

After taking a deep breath to recover her cool, the noblemare soon noticed that, unlike other occasions, the prince wasn't being escorted by his two usual guards. "No guard's today honey? What is the occasion? Or did your escorts finally stop viewing me as a threat?" Scarlet inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, Amber told me that a special mission came up and both were needed elsewhere for the day, but don't worry. They didn't leave me defenseless either." he then cast his gaze upwards. The two mares followed his eyes to see a squadron of Pegasus guards hovering above him in a fairly discrete formation.

'Special mission?' Scarlet pondered before a smile starts to form. 'Did my provocations finally to take root and they decided to enter the courting game?' She began to chuckle at the implications. 'Oh, it will be so adorable to see them try.' The voice of the prince then snapped her back to reality

"But that is not what is important now" The prince mentioned while breaking the hug "It's so nice seeing you two getting along so well."

"Yep, Scarly and I have become the bestest of friends" Pinkie proclaimed for all to hear with a look of complete pride, making the prince chuckle and look at the noblemare.

"And you were saying that Pinkie would only annoy you," He remarked to her with a smirk

"I'm mare enough to admit when I'm wrong honey; I simply feared that we would have a repeat of the series of events from her first Grand Galloping Gala" Scarlet comments provoking an embarrassed blush from Pinkie who looks away nervously at the memory.

"Y-yeah, not one of my best moments, but in my defense, you were overselling the event just a bit." Pinkie defends herself.

"It is for the members of the highest class, dear. What were you expecting?" Scarlet comments.

The prince chuckled at the new argument. "Anyway, how has everything going?" He asks, casting his eyes around at the decorations "Is everything ready?"

"Almost ready" Pinkie bounced next to him "As you asked us, we got everything you wanted for it," Pinkie tells him, taking off the mask she was wearing. "I have to say Bluey, I've hosted a lot of parties before, but this Masquerade thing you told us about? It's definitely something I have never heard of before."

"That makes two of us." Scarlet ads, approaching the pair as well "Blueblood darling you have to tell us, what could possibly have given you such exotic ideas?"

"Will you believe me if I told you that it was a memory from my past life?" The prince asked them with a raised eyebrow. After a pregnant pause, Scarlet and Pinkie burst into laughter "Oh dear, Blueblood that was…oh what a hilarious joke!"

"Yeah, right?" The prince chuckled for a moment before clearing his throat. "In all seriousness, the idea came to me after thinking of the problem we are facing. The division of the classes that has put everyone on edge, sure all these arrests were what started this, but the crown itself and the division of classes is the real issue to be addressed. It was preventing us from speaking freely. So if we need to talk, we need to take those statues away."

He picked up Pinkie's discarded mask and began to examine its facade. "And that is where this comes into play, as I told you, other than some ornaments, and colors that everypony is free to add, all of these masks are, more or less the same for all of us, and that is what exactly what I want them to represent."

He turned the mask about and slipped the mask over his face "With this mask on I'm no longer the prince of Canterlot, you are no longer a noblemare, or you an element of harmony." He then removed it and placed it back on a nearby table. "We are what we are at our core, just three ponies having a nice chat."

He stops and looks at everyone hard at work "That is what this party is all about. Sure we have our lives and our status but we are also just normal ponies that wish to be heard and listened to, and that is exactly what will happen" He mentions in pride. "This is not only another type of party girls, but I also plan to transform this event into an annual celebration. One intended to erase present and future anguish my people might have, a very long party where their voices are heard and their happiness flourishes."

"So that is why you invited the common folk along with members of the peerage darling?" Scarlet asked in wonder.

The prince nodded without missing a beat "that, plus it will be a way for us to create a magical little world of wonders, no noble class, no common class, and no royal class. Just ponies having fun and seeing the best that all classes can offer." He started to laugh at the image on his head. "Oh we are so going to be redefine the word 'exotic' at this party" The prince tells the two mares as he looks at the jugglers ponies, some dragon flamethrowers, zebra fortune tellers, and other types of entertainers warming up their acts and even giving some free demonstrations to any passing butler or maid who was captivated by their performances.

"I must say, honey, I had my reservations when you insisted on adding this type of entertainments at first, but now I'm intrigued to see how it will play out when put into action," Scarlet states with a smile, looking at the group.

"I knew you would warm up to the idea" He mentions before starting to walk away "Well, I will leave you girls alone so you can finish your job in peace. I just wanted to check out how was everything going."

"There is nothing to worry Bluey, we got this." Pinkie answered before Scarlet could have a chance to say anything.

"Awesome! Now, where are those confetti bombs you requested me to order?" The prince asks mostly to himself as he started to look around some crates that were recently opened but not unpacked yet

Scarlet eye twitched once she heard that and was about to glare at Pinkie before being surprised and confused by the mares innocent smile, as she looks away and offers her a remote control with a single button on it, The image of confetti engraved on its surface. "Before you do anything think about this Scarly, you could either be mad at me or have a little fun~" She offers her as she points at the prince inspecting the crates.

Scarlet ponders the idea for a moment before smiling and presses the button, resulting in the prince getting startled by a loud bang and a face full of confetti. Looking back he sees both mares giggling at him, and he soon joins them as he clears his head "Oh you got me, Scarlet, you got me good you" He tells inbetween his own fits of laughter as he waves them goodbye.

After their laughing fit, Scarlet stopped and realized what she was doing, before looking at Pinkie in surprise who smirked at her "Well Scarly?"

"Oh all right, you win. We can have some confetti bombs here and there, but nothing too excessive, and I don't want any of that anywhere near the dance floor, you hear me!" Pinkie surprised her by giving her a hug "Already done, and ready."

"Wait, what? You already…"

Pinkie Pie only giggled and patted her head "Oh Scarly there is nothing your little head needs to worry just let your old aunt Pinkie take care of everything."

"We are the same age" Scarlet argued back.

"Sure we are" Pinky replied simply and pulls her into one final hug, bringing her close to get near her ear "Also, you might as well give up on Blueblood; I will not let you play those kinds of games on him."

"What?" Scarlet whispers in shock as Pinkie breaks the hug and bounces away, acting as nothing happened at all "Come on Scarly, we still need to discuss where to put the last decorations."

Scarlet was left speechless at her words until she starts to process everything.

'That little mare just tricked me into having things her way AND is actually trying to keep me away from my prince. Oh, Diane, you smart girl' She takes out a pen and a parchment from her scarf 'you are so going on to the list.'  
Writing her name, Scarlet admired the file with the title of 'Herd Candidates' in which the names of Ember, Chrysalis and Novo were written as well. 'We can always use a nice jester in our little love nest.' Hiding the parchment once more she follows Pinkie with a sinister smile 'I smell a sequel in the making.'

The night of the party

As the royal sister's made their way to the ballroom, they stopped momentarily and glanced at Scarlet with a smirk at the mare in question. She, despite sporting one of her most gorgeous dresses which combined perfectly with her mask, was relegated as the pony in charge in receiving all the guests for the party. A job that, unfortunately, meant that until the last guest arrived, she couldn't join the party.

Naturally, the mare didn't show her distress on the outside and was greeting everypony that reached the end of an unusually long line, with a smile and a courteous greeting. Yet the sisters knew both from experience and practice studying body language for years, that the mare didn't like her current situation one bit…and they couldn't be happier because of that.

"It was a magnificent idea, requesting that Scarlet Lips be relegated to receive the guests as one of the conditions, sister. Personally, I would have simply forbidden her from entering the castle grounds or even approaching or nephew, yet I can see the merit of your choice."

"See Luna? Some things can be solved without the use of violence or heavy-hoofed approaches." Celestia replied with a prideful smile, "And this is nothing, I also placed her in charge of the catering service as well as seeing to the needs of the evening's entertainment, and the security of belongings for any guest."

"Sister that is just diabolical." Luna rebukes her in surprise.

"Yeah, and?"

"I like it."

"Me too, by the time this party ends, that mare will have a hard time lifting a single hoof." Celestia announced with a malevolent smile "That will teach her not to mess with our family."

"Yeah ok, Tia, we get it, you are a mastermind, no need to inflate your ego anymore over it." Luna complained while rolling her eyes earning a giggle from her sister as they both entered the chamber.

"Now let's go, Blueblood is waiting for us, so he can make his announcement." Luna insisted to her sister with a worried voice as they sped up their pace inside, neither of them noticing a particular group of ponies approaching Scarlet who made her smile genuinely.

"Sharp Shot, Clear Sky, Upper Crust, Jet Set, it's so nice to see you made it." She tells them faking surprise as everyone exchanged greetings.

"But of course darling," Upper Crust tells her "We wouldn't miss it for the world." She mentions before putting on her mask, designed to that leave her muzzle in the open. The rest of her companions followed suit. "Especially with such a special occasion about to happen."

"Yeah," Jet Set adds, "Something tells me that this will be one night to remember."

"I would be careful if I were you," Sharp tells them both before entering the room followed by her companion who remained quiet and by his side during the whole ordeal "You wouldn't want the guards to believe you are dangers to the crown, right?"

"Oh dear Sharp, what makes you believe that?" Scarlet ask him with an innocent smile.

* * *

The chapters, 33 to 35 will be posted this wednesday 25. To those that wish to read them early you can always find them on my page


	33. Royal Masquerade Act 1

**Royale Masquerade, Act 1**

At a steady pace, life began to fill the ballroom as more and more ponies arrived. Many were immediately awestruck by the music, entertainment and the games that were spread throughout the hall.

Like the galloping gala, some ponies were enjoying the slow and formal dances or happily chatting with one another. Yet there were also jugglers and flamethrowers giving all folks the show of their lives as kids and adults alike, participated in games like at any ordinary child's party. Yet, even more, were enjoying all sort of treats and confections arrayed on tables filled with food and pastries in the corners.

The party was definitely something no pony had ever seen before, something from neither the upper or the lower class but a harmonious event where the two combined. As the prince kept a watchful eye on how things were unfolding from the second floor, he could not help but feel a deep sense of accomplishment and pride. The masquerade was his idea after all, and even though the night was still young, he could easily picture this party would unfold just as he had planned.

"Greetings nephew." The voice of Luna called out from behind him.

Returning back to reality, the prince turned around so he could properly receive both of his aunts as they approached him. They were both garbed in formal evening ball gowns that matched their fur, their appearance was accented further with a pair of golden and silver masks respectively. Each mask adorned with small decorations embedded or etched in its surface to give the allure of royalty to the item and wearer.

"Aunties," the prince greeted with a smile, before moving to them and exchanging a quick group hug with his family before looking up at them, "I'm so glad you were able to come, you both look incredible!"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Celestia assured him with a smile as she gave him a glance over, "And you don't look so bad yourself."

"Indeed," Luna commented as she inspected his attire which consisted of a formal long sleeved dark blue shirt with pants that matched in color with his mask. It was complemented by a silver vest, a black cape, and a golden scepter. "Originally, I thought the use of this type of mask would get in the way of the formal attire, but now that I see it in action, I can see the appeal behind it. As you promised, it really gives an aura of mystique and elegance, just like my night, and for that, I must applaud your nephew."

"Thanks, aunt Luna, I'm so happy that you like it!" The prince beamed with pride at her praise.

"We do, and something tells me that we aren't the only ones." Celestia commented as she approached him, "In fact, something tells me that the mares won't be able to take their eyes off of you." She joked giving him a small wink.

"Auntie!" The prince took a step back with a small blush as his aunts giggled at his reaction.

"Relax Blueblood, you know my sister and I are just joking around" Luna commented, "And, As per your request, we are here and ready to put the plan in motion."

"Excellent, now we only need to wait for Jade, Temptress, and Mirage and we can start this show."

"No need to wait for us, your highness," Mirage responded as she and her companions made their way to the Royals. Two of them were wearing the same outfit Luna was sporting while the third one wore similar attire to Celestia. "We're all here." They state with pride before a burst of magic changed them in the exact copies of the royal sisters Temptress and Jade assuming the form of Luna while Mirage became a doppelganger for Celestia. The now thoroughly disguised changeling approached the prince with an open and some might say mischievous smile before speaking in his aunt's voice. "And we are more than ready to party."

"That is great, seriously girls, thanks for helping us out."

"Oh, don't mention it. With how you explained the plan to us, this almost looks like a game." Temptress mentioned with a giggle. "Hey! We could even make this an official party game for the future: 'Guess who is the real princess.'"

She suggests with glee, making the prince chuckle. "Let's see how the night plays out first and then we can discuss the idea later."

Taking a breath to center himself and focus, he addressed all the mares in a more serious tone. "Now remember, once I hit my scepter after my speech the masks will all be linked with each other, but it will only work with thoughts you want to share, like a voice in your head. So, keep that in mind."

"Are you sure you can handle being in a hive mind arrangement?" Jade asked the princesses with some worry. "Sure, it easy at first but it can get really hard, really fast."

"Phft! Do not underestimate us, fair Jade. My sister and I have faced many conflicts both physical, spiritual and mental for longer than an age. And we have been forced to make decisions on multiple battlefields on the spot. Sharing our mind with five others will be a walk in the park in comparison to that." Luna replied with candor.

Celestia nodded in agreement before addressing Jade as well. "You can trust us, Jade, as Luna said. We have some experience with multitasking. There is nothing to be fear, and we will be fine."

"Well ok, if you say so. Just get ready for the initial hit. The first time your brain is linked like this, it can shake your senses and perhaps your sense of balance for a bit."

"We will keep it our thoughts, thanks," Celestia responded with a smile.

"Ok ladies, let's get into position and start this party!" Blueblood exclaimed in excitement as he started to go to his designated spot, followed by their changeling friends. Celestia stopped him before he goes too far though.

She doesn't utter a sound but instead uses her wing to pull the prince into one last hug.

"What was that for?"

"For good luck and to calm down."

"I am calm!"

"I mean for me."

"Auntie." The prince smiled and held her hoof. "We have been planning this for weeks now. There is nothing to worry about, I promise you, everything will be fine."

"I know, but years of experience have taught me that even the most flawless of plans can still end in disaster when they are upset by the smallest of things."

"Even if that happens though, I will be prepared," Blueblood reassured her, putting his right hoof on his chest and letting her hoof go.

"Just be careful, and if anything happens, remember. Your aunt and I will always be there for you."

"I know auntie, just like we agreed. I will cautious at all times, and if anything occurs, I will come straight to you." The prince nodded and resumed his march toward the top of the stairs where he could receive his guests properly.

Once everyone was in position, and the lights were cut off the prince took one last breath and prepared himself mentally to put everything in motion.

_Ok, it's showtime!_

"Citizens of Canterlot!" The prince calls out above the crowd as the ponies start to whisper and try to locate him in all the darkness until, suddenly, a reflector is turned on above the prince, illuminating him in a brilliant circle of light standing at the top of the staircase of the second floor. "Welcome to Equestria's First Royal Masquerade Ball ever!" He roars out in pride as he lifts his scepter. More reflectors are turned on bathing banners with the silhouettes of the three tribes in the light as well.

"Well, we have to give him this. He certainly can make an entrance." Upper Crust commented, impressed by the display.

"I could have made a better one." Jet grumbled under his breath, unimpressed by the act as the prince continued his speech.

"Many of you are probably wondering, what is the point of this event? And why the need for masks. Well, allow me to explain it all to you." Pointing his scepter to the right, the light shows a new banner describing the three queens that formed Equestria for the very first time.

"Since its creation, Equestria has been known for his value of friendship. Ever since the rulers of the three tribes put aside their difference and decided to work together for a better tomorrow, as equals and as friends. There was no separation of race. No separation of magical mastery of any kind, and of course, no separation of social class whatsoever."

He points his scepter to his left and this time banners showed the accomplishes the elements of harmony have achieved. "It was that union that allowed us to triumph against mighty foes and overcome great calamities, and it is in honor of those great values, that I have created this event." He pointed the scepter above him and a final banner showing the two princesses, a noble pony, and a commoner pony all making a toast in happiness. "For tonight, I wish to invite you all to put aside your social standing and see the pony next to you as your equal."

Addressing his guests, the prince cast out a dazzling smile and points at his own mask with his scepter. "That is objective of the mask my friends. I'm not asking you to let go of your individuality, good heavens no! Who and what we are is what makes us special and strong, but I have to ask you. if We took away all our stations, all our monetary incomes, and all our birth origins. What are we left with?"

Everyone mumbling fades to silent wonder as the prince conducted the crowd like a maestro. Directing their gaze and minds.

"What we are left with my friends, are just ponies." The prince answered in a most pleasant tone, "Simple ponies having a great time and enjoying one night of partying like no other. With friends to spare and stories to share."

A dull roar of excitement begins to build as everypony in attendance hangs on the prince's word, eagerly engaging with the concept presented to them. "Who knows, Perhaps even romance can bloom." He teases impishly, earning some chuckles. "So, let go every pony, let us indulge in this new festivity, of equality and true friendship!"

Meanwhile in Ponyville

Starlight was calmly reading a book while Spike cleaned the floor when her eyes widened and she held a hoof to her chest. "Starlight? What is wrong?" Spike asked her in worry, noticing her reaction.

"I'm not sure Spike, but I have this overwhelming feeling of…pride." She told him with a smile and a tear falling from her left check

"Huh?" Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Back at Canterlot

Everyone's excitement and happiness continue to build with the prince's speech. The prince continues, building the crowds enthusiasm. "And, for all of you that have questions for the princesses and have been put on edge due to recent events. Be assured that your voices will be heard, in fact. Allow me to make the dream of a great number of you come true." The prince smirked and hit his scepter on the ground, resulting in the lights to be turned on again and bank of fog to appear behind him before something emerged from it, the roar that had been building with the prince's every word died instantly as everyone in the crowd gasped at the sight before them.

From the cloud, three princess Celestia's and, three princess Luna's stepped forward and smiled at the gathered crowd.

"With the assistance of our changeling friends and some magic tinkering with their masks, I give you not one, not two but six princesses of Equestria! All of them mentally linked, all of them ready to mingle and party like normal mares, and most importantly, all of them ready to listen to their worried subjects."

The Celestia to the right of Blueblood takes a step forward and starts to speak. "That is correct my little ponies, just like my nephew said, the news of Fort's betrayal and the subsequent hunt for his associates, has left all of us in a state of fear and distrust. Such a state cannot be allowed to simply continue on. We all have already suffered more than enough. It's time for all of us to move on."

It was then the closest Luna to the prince who spoke as well. "And that is why, for the remaining hours of the night, my sister and I will be open to any questions that you might have, be not be afraid to approach any of us. Rest assured that your monarchs will hear your question, no matter who you ask and, they will answer, no matter from who it comes from. So by all means, please speak away, ask whatever you want, try to find the real us. Consider this a type of game to play throughout this most spectacular of nights."

Internally all the royals smirked as they saw every pony in the room whispered in excitement at the chance find the true princess, some even appearing to start to play to their ego, claiming that they could spot the real Celestia or Luna and challenge their friends into friendly bets.

_Of course, not all the copies are changelings either_ the prince took a glance to one of the Celestia's who was watching everyone in the room like a hawk. _No, one of the princesses is actually a particularly skilled soldier hoof-picked by my aunts, so good in the art of interrogation and negotiation that her victims don't realize that they are being questioned until she gets what she needs. and She have been trained and instructed for months, to ensure that she can resist the charms of the changeling necklace. A perfect spy hiding in plain sight, with the ideal disguise to perform an interrogation on all the noble community in Canterlot in one single night_

Looking back at the crowd below, the prince addresses everyone one last time "So with all this said and done and as the prince of Equestria. There is only one thing left for me to say. Let my people…**PARTY!**" With a flourish, the prince slammed his scepter in the ground with force, in time for confetti to explode upwards and music starts to play, announcing the beginning of the party as all the ponies cheer and begin to mingle with one another. The princesses nodded to one another before Splitting off, each taking different paths and spreading around the ballroom.

_Ok nobles of Canterlot lets party!_ the prince nods in confidence as he passes the scepter to a nearby guard and walks down the stairs to receive his guests as well and to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Meanwhile, at the entrance

Scarlet finished greeting yet another guest when she caught the eyes of two familiar faces.

"Well, well, well" The mare in question smirked as she saw Amber and Stellar approached her, though instead of wearing formal dresses, both were armed with spears, and fully clad in their centurion uniforms, which looked exactly like the standard golden armor that their comrades in arms wore with the exception that theirs featured the bright silver of platinum on their polished cuirasses, showing the symbols of the sun and moon respectively in the center, and their half helms were molded into the fierce visage of a dragon's skull forming around their faces "Fashionably late, I see. I can respect that, but I'm sorry to be the one who has to tell you girls, but the myth about the uniform making everyone go wild? It only works on mares," Scarlet tells them with a smirk.

" Actually, we're not here to party, in fact, we are actually on duty as royal guards…_miss_" Amber responds with only a slight hint of coldness giving her a small glare.

"Oh my, working during such an iconic event?" Scarlet exclaimed faking surprise while trying and failing to hide a smirk, "Such a shame! A brand new and daring social event and you two would not be able to enjoy it. It truly is terrible, what a pity."

"Go ahead and have your laugh, Scarlet." Amber approached her with a smirk of her own. "We aren't the ones stuck here saying _"hello"_ like a parrot."

While still smiling, one of Scarlet eye twitched for a second. "Oh, fair lady, you wounded me." She admonishes the guardsman with a practiced smile and a fake shock before regaining her composure. "So, I'm to assume that my two favorite guard dogs will be joining our beloved prince while barking at any mare that smiles at him?" She asks them before chuckling. "It's always so adorable seeing your jealous act."

Both of them ignore them as they step inside. "Oh, don't worry miss, we already plan for that."

That last comment caught Scarlet off guard as she looks back at them. "Pardon?"

"We figured out your game, and we didn't like it one bit." Stellar agreed with a nod "So we decided to step in and arrange some blind dates off on our own" Amber look back at her with a smirk "With mares, that unlike you, are perfect for our prince, and will keep you far away from him. Just admit it Scarlet, it's over, your little mind games end tonight."

"Wait, blind dates? So, you are not…? You actually…? You didn't consider…?" Scarlet sighed in frustration and facehoofed. "…Are you actually that dense?!" She exclaims in shock at them both, confusing the two as they look at one another and then to her again.

"Oh, for pity's sake, you actually are!" Her eyes widened in surprise and then the noblemare cast her gaze to the ground in disappointment. "And just like that, there goes like five plot twists, one glorious fight between romantic rivals and one beautiful and passionate defeated threesome."

"Excuse me!?" Amber tells her in anger, her cheeks starting to burn up as well. though Scarlet seems to just ignore her.

"I hope you are happy, you just destroyed the dreams and hopes of so many lectors, now go, enjoy your work. There is no point talking with mares this naive, and I still have ponies to receive and welcomes to give as well."

"Ok, that is it, what in Tartarus are you rambling…?" Amber was about to confront her but Stellar got in her way and shook her head, it takes a moment, but eventually Amber managed to calm down and sighed. "You are right, she is not worth it."

They both turn to leave-

"Also, one more thing." Scarlet catches their attention without looking. "It's obvious that you were too naive to realize it, so I will come out and say it. You haven't won anything yet, the prince hasn't chosen an alpha yet and believes me, it will not be that simple, the night is still young, and the musicians are just warming their instruments."

"Maybe you are right, but you will no longer be a part of that dance."

"We will see dear." Scarlet looked at them over her shoulder with a malicious smile. "We will see."

The guards felt a cold shiver run throw their spine as they watched Scarlet continue to receive their guest, before shaking their heads in confusion and going inside. There, they found the other centurions and took their positions guarding the party, while at the same time a shy little Pegasus wearing a simple yellow formal dress approached the prince with a blush, poking his shoulder to gain his attention.

"Ah…e-excuse me."


	34. The Waltz Of The Butterflies

**The Waltz Of The Butterflies**

As the ponies of Canterlot continued to be dazzled and surprised by the entertainment offered to them by the evening masquerade, the prince of Equestria was also being startled by the arrival of a familiar face. Their presence he would never have imagined appearing for this event.

"F-Fluttershy?" The prince finally manages to stammer while still looking in shock at the blushing, masked mare in front of him. Who was currently refusing to make eye contact with him due to her embarrassment.

"P-please stop staring at me like that, it's embarrassing..." She pleaded, trying to save face.

_Oh dear god, she looks just like Bella in a pink version of her dress. Even her haircut is the same one!_ The prince thought before shaking his head and recovering from his initial surprise.

"My most sincere apologies, I didn't mean to sound so shocked, it's just…well, yeah I'm shocked to see you, but in a good way." The prince smiled and slowly brought Fluttershy in close for a hug, so as to not scare her. To his joy, she didn't seem to mind and even seemed to relax, if only just a little bit. "Not that I have any complaints or anything, but why are you here? I thought this wasn't the type of event you liked to attend."

Ending the hug, she looked him in the eye. "Well I _**DO **_have my fair share social events like this one, and Pinkie's parties are always so fun to have, plus this mask does help a little." She answered while pointing at the golden mask adorning her face. "But besides that, you are right. This isn't exactly the type of parties I usually attend, mostly because they are a bit scary." She confessed, trembling a little as she cast her gaze around.

"Then why did you come?" The prince asked with a raised eyebrow, his gaze following hers with interest. "Are the rest of the girls here as well?"

"No, it's just me," Fluttershy answered, shaking her head. "And the reason why I came is that Stellar suggested it."

"Stellar…suggested it?" The prince repeated, skepticism obvious in his voice.

"Oh not so much with words of course, but well…she is good at charades." Fluttershy clarified.

"Oh! Yeah, I get it, that mare is the master in that game." The prince nodded a couple of times while reflecting on a memory. "So why did she suggest that you come here?"

"Well, she told me that this experience could help me with a problem I have and…I-I also wanted to do this," Fluttershy states, a bit unsure and faltering at first but growing full of confidence at the end. "For a long time, I have been too afraid to try and do things I wanted to do. So in order for me to face my fears, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and go to this party all by myself!" She declared with confidence before returning to her shy self. "I-I-I mean if that is ok with you, of course."

"Are you kidding?! Fluttershy that is so brave of you, facing your fears head on and trying to be a bit more assertive? It would be my honor if I could help you overcome your insecurities." The prince tells her in excitement gaining the attention of other nobles nearby, who make a point to take a look at the two. Fluttershy soon realized their eyes were on her. "Trust me Fluttershy, by the end of the night; you will be the most assertive pony ever.

You, me and Pinkie could go around having fun with the games, meet some new friends, and if you want, maybe we could also have a little dance and…" The prince stopped once he notices Fluttershy beginning shake like a leaf as her nerve began to fail beneath the stares of every pony on them.

"Hey isn't that Fleur De Lis?" The prince asks out loud randomly pointing in the right direction. His distraction has the desired effect, and everyone stops looking at them and starts to search for the mare in question. Seizing the moment, he ducks away with Fluttershy from the center of attention.

Once they were in the clear, the prince addressed Fluttershy again. "Sorry about that, I guess I got a bit carried away."

"N-no! It's ok. that is why I'm here in the first place, And ah…thanks for letting me do this." Fluttershy mumbles with a shy smile.

At that moment both of them were surprised by the swell of slow music beginning to play, followed by couples all around them gathering in the center of the dance floor so to start the ball.

"Looks like the first dance of the evening is about to begin." The prince smiles as he observed as ponies got into position. He could not help but find it adorable how mares and stallions alike looked nervous or avoided eye contact as they wanted to find out how to start to dance. "Come, we should give them some space to dance."

He was about to leave, but after hearing her swallow, Fluttershy held his shoulder and refused to move. "A-A-Actually, I was thinking. Blueblood, do you think maybe if that is ok with you, can we perhaps…?"

"Fluttershy, are you asking me for a dance?" The prince inquired with a surprised look on his face, only for the poor mare to just whine and look away in fear as a response.

"Fluttershy, it's ok really, you don't need to force yourself that much. If you don't want to dance, that..." The prince tells her in concern.

"N-No! I do-I really would love to dance but…everyone staring at me and…just please..." She tried to act brave raising her shaking hoof at him. "Please don't make me say it!"

The prince understood, smiling he took her hoof with his own. "Ok, if you think you can do it, I'll help you."

"Thank you," Fluttershy whispered to him with a shy smile as he gently guided her to the center of the dance floor in time with the music beat waiting for it to repeat to start correctly.

The poor mare flinches when the prince gently places his hoof on her shoulder but reciprocates the action and holds his other hoof with her own. She tries to relax, but the staring of all the other ponies did nothing to ease her chagrin, making her movements stiff and small.

"Are you sure you are ok?" The prince asks, concern evident in his voice. Fluttershy dearly wished to reply, yet she was preoccupied trying to make her body move.

Looking at her, the prince just started to get worried until an idea popped into his head.

"Don't pay them any attention Fluttershy." He whispers into her ear, succeeding in snapping her back to reality.

"Huh?"

Looking up, Fluttershy found the prince smiling calmly at her; it was innocent and small, yet full of warmth and compassion. For some reason, Fluttershy couldn't help but compare his smile with that of Princess Celestia. "Trust me, it helps, just focus on me and everything will be fine."

His words were calm and soft, so much so that Fluttershy, even though she was still a bit unsure, ultimately nodded and didn't resist as the prince brought her even closer to his person."Now close your eyes, and don't worry about the dance, I will lead."

She nods again and leans her head against his chest before closing her eyes, concentrating only on the music and Blueblood's heartbeat. "That's it, just relax." The prince continues to coach her as she slowly starts to relax. So much so that she even began to smile contently while the music and their dance continued. "Don't be afraid, tonight there are no strangers here, no nobles, or commoners, or elements or princes, just ponies with masks having a good time and dancing around. There are no eyes on you Fluttershy."

He could feel her hoofs starting to tense; she was getting afraid again. "Shh, relax I got you. Don't think of anypony else; it's just you and me right now, you are not afraid of me right?"

Fluttershy can't help but giggle lightly. "No."

"Good, I would feel bad if I scare you, now let's play a game. A small one to help you relax more, imagine that we are not in Canterlot. Let think for a moment that we are outside of your cottage, completely alone. And dancing under the light of the moon."

Separating for a moment, the prince gave Fluttershy a spin as she starts to be entranced by the music and dance.

"Where is the music coming from?" Fluttershy asks innocently as she slowly starts to believe his words.

"Angel is conducting your little animals." The prince quickly replies, making Fluttershy giggle once more. "Angel is acting as the music maestro?"

"Oh yeah, can't you see him? With his adorable formal shirt, his bowtie, and using a twig to guide your little friends, and there, in the corner mumbling in irritation is Spike, holding a triangle.

Fluttershy giggled at the image as all of her worries seem to melt away. Her bodies movements become smooth and confident. Soon she has been wholly ensnared music, her body acts on pure instinct, moving with grace and beauty.

"That is it, Fluttershy, you are doing it."

"I'm doing it?" She finally opens her eyes in surprise as her body moves naturally and her fears vanish. "I'm doing it! Oh my goodness, I'm not afraid!"

She exclaims in joy as they spend the rest of the dance without any care in the world. The participates shower the musicians with applause when they stand to take a bow in gratitude.

"You are a beautiful dancer Fluttershy." The prince says looking at her.

Fluttershy only blushes and looks away. "T-Thanks" She then looks back at him with a big smile. "And thank you for helping me overcome my fears."

"Glad to be of assistance." The prince responds to her in pride.

"No I am quite serious, I'm so thankful, your words helped me relax and forget about being afraid. How did you know that would work?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, it was nothing, just an old trick I used to do, its called subterfuge. Think of it as a magic trick for the mind. I used all the time when I…"hunted for prey" as they call it in the business world." He confessed in both shame and anger at himself.

"Oh," Fluttershy understood what happened and looked at him in pity. The prince sighed and looked back at her.

"I'm just glad that for once this dirty trick was used for something other than to make money."

Fluttershy smiled and put her hoof on his shoulder, giving it a gentle pat. "Just because you know that trick doesn't make you into a bad pony."

That surprised him. "You think so?"

The prince asks stunned as Fluttershy gives him a tiny but brilliant smile and a nod. "I know so, Blueblood this last couple of months I have been able to know the real you. I see how caring and nice you can be. There is no reason for you to hide who and what you are, just because you know how to trick others doesn't automatically turn you into a bad pony, it what you do with that ability that counts."

"Fluttershy... thank you." The prince whispers in reply, deeply moved by her words.

"Anytime."

Soon they hear the music begin to pick up once again. "Looks like another dance is coming up, shall we, milady?" The prince asked while giving her an exaggerated bow, making her giggle.

"We shall, good sir." She responded in kind with a posh accent, playing along with the prince. They were about to get into position when someone tapped in the prince's shoulder.

"Excuse me, your highness."

Turning back to face the voice, the two dancers found Jet Set and Upper Crust wearing their best formal attire, the colors matching and complementing with their coats and masks, also having some feathered decorations on them.

"We only wanted to thank you for inviting us to this grand event, your majesty. You probably don't know us but my name is Jet Set, and this is my lovely wife, Upper Crust. Before your dreadful accident, we used to be excellent friends." Jet Set tells him with a smile.

"Really?" The prince regarded them both with a raised eyebrow before smiling. "Well I'm sorry to tell you that you are right, my memory of the two of you is foggy at best, and completely gone at worst. But even so, if we managed to become good friends in the past, I don't see how that cannot happen again right? After all, the objective of this party is to form new bonds and start anew."

"I couldn't agree more your highness." Upper Crust answers. "Besides, your wellbeing is what truly matters Prince Blueblood, friendships can be reformed and established as many times as it needs, but the prince of Equestria? That is truly irreplaceable, the clouds would cry for weeks, the sun would possible refused to rise for days, I dare to say that all of Canterlot could stop to a halt if something has really had happened to you"

_Oh joy, a couple of suck-ups, this will be annoying _The prince internally rolled his eyes before soldiering on with the conversation.

"I thank you for your kind words , I truly appreciate it." The prince thanked her as they hear how the musicians were done preparing their instruments.

"Oh, what perfect timing." Jet Set remarked before stepping very close to Fluttershy before giving her a small bow, offering her his hoof. " Would you care for a dance Ms. Fluttershy? Rest assured, my dancing is far better than that of our fair prince. Who, unfortunately, must be a bit rusty and still relearning the steps. No offense, of course, your highness."

"None, taken. You hit the nail in the head." The prince answered in an honest tone, all the while maintaining a perfectly calm smile. _You prick._

"So, what do you say fair maiden? Would you care for a dance with a more experienced dancer?" Jet Set asked Fluttershy again.

"Um…no thanks." She declines while stepping closer to the prince and holding one of his hooves. "I would rather dance with Blueblood, but thanks for the offer anyway."

There is an awkward silent moment in which Jet remained frozen with a thin smile on his lips before he recovers and bows politely. "Understood, if that what you wish, I would respect your decision."

"Thank you for understanding." Fluttershy smiles but starts to pull Blueblood away from the two.

"Enjoy the rest of the evening." He calls out before the prince and element bearer disappear into the crowd.

"Don't feel bad honey, she is but a commoner. What would she know about high quality?" Upper Crust consoles her husband with a caring smile. "If you offered a five-star dinner or a simple homemade plate to a farmer, of course, he will always choose the homemade dinner. They don't know any better. So don't get mad, she is not worthy."

She then looks back at him with an evil smile. "Besides we have better things to do."

He matches her expression and holds her hoof with his own before they both start dancing. "You are right dear as always. Why bother with the little things when we have the entire night ahead of us? A brand new Canterlot waiting to be born even?"

"Exactly, so let the prince enjoy his party. We both know that it will be his last."

"Yeah, and who are we to deprive our good friend of a goodbye party?"

Both of them quietly chuckle with malice as they dance with the music of the waltz.

-Later that night-

After their dance concluded, and they chatted a little with some of the guests, the prince guided Fluttershy to the royal garden. All the while the two took turns telling stories, the prince mainly chuckling after she finishes retelling how she and Discord became good friends.

"He made your house spin in mid-air for hours?" The prince asks with a laugh, something Fluttershy also did.

"Y-yes he did, he thought that doing that would make me angry, but the only thing he achieved was making some of my little friend's hamsters think that they were inside the biggest wheel ever."

The pair stopped once they reached the center of the garden "He apologized afterward of course, but to this day I still hear some of them wishing for another run."

"Wow, and to think that he now only does a minor prank here and there. You turned him around Fluttershy, no pun intended."

"He was just misunderstood, and needed a friend, that all. You would be surprised by how much you can achieve with just a little bit of kindness." Fluttershy sagely informs him with a big smile.

"You have a heart of gold Fluttershy," The prince tells her, before moving to stand in front of her, "And after facing your fears like you did tonight, I believe some form of reward is in order."

"What? Oh no, no, no! Blueblood that is not necessary."

She tries to protest, but the prince stops her by putting his hoof on her lips. "Please, I insist, plus I hate knowing that someone that is so kind and helpful to me gets nothing in return, I suppose is yet another thing I will drag with me from my past life." He confides with her, sharing a sad smile, that makes it impossible for Fluttershy to refuse his offer.

"W…well ok if you want to," Fluttershy tells him giving in to his advances, which helped perk the prince up.

"Great! In that case, could you do me one small favor? Close your eyes."

"W-W-What?!" It was good that they both were currently outside at night and Fluttershy was wearing a mask. Otherwise, the prince might have noticed how the poor mare was blushing like a tomato.

"It will be for a second; I promise it's nothing bad." The prince begged, putting her hooves together.

"Ah…Eh…j-j-just…O-ok." Fluttershy finally manages to speak again after blabbering words and shaking furiously, a thing that both amused and confused the prince. "But just one second."

"That is all I ask, oh and no peeking." The prince adds with a smile. Fluttershy takes a depth breath before closing her eyes and slowly leans in. Her fear soon turned to confusion when, she didn't felt the prince approaching, and then wonder once he felt him getting away from her, something she confirms once he speaks again.

"Ok, now open them."

The moment Fluttershy open her eyes again, she gasps in shock.

In front of the two, dancing on the moonlight were thousands of butterflies moving in time with the rhythmic of the music heard in the distance from the castle. Not only that, but these were special since, unlike usual butterflies, The ones in front of them had light coming from their wings like fireflies, creating this beautiful rainbow mosaic of lights and colors.

_Neo Nocturnal Butterflies?! But…but they are extremely shy around ponies…how could this be?_

"Ta-Da." The prince announces, and when Fluttershy look back at him, she notices other small animals starting to emerge from everywhere around the two. "Bl-Blueblood are those…?"

"The rare and shy animals of the royal garden? In the flesh." He tells her with pride as he approaches her with a squirrel resting on a forehoof which he extends, so the animal could see her better. "And all of them are ready to say hi."

Fluttershy extended her hoof and, to her surprise, the squirrel jumped over and climbed to her shoulder for her to pet. "But…how?" She asks perplexed on how animals that were afraid of even her were now acting so friendly and calm.

"It's a funny story, you see. It turns out, the original prince wasn't exactly Mr. Popular with a lot of the animals in here, so you could imagine their surprise when I arrive and start sharing my food with them, more than one critter needed to see it for themselves afterward." The prince explained picking a bunny and gently petting his head. "One bunny became a family, from bunnies, birds arrive, then raccoons, then some monkeys and before I knew it, I was chatting with half of the animal kingdom here."

"You…talk with them?" Fluttershy inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, of course, no. I couldn't possibly match your skill in communicating with animals, but some of these guys here are smarter than you think. It required a lot of patience from both sides and a lot of charades, but eventually, we managed to find some form of communication and reach an understanding." He let go of the rabbit and takes Fluttershy hoof to guide her deeper into the garden until they reach a lake where the butterflies were dancing around.

"Wow." Fluttershy breathes out, mesmerized, seeing so many animals playing in the water or dancing in the air with the music left the mare feeling overjoyed.

"I still need to iron out the details, but so far, they seem ok with me bringing one or two friends here and play around without scaring them. That is, except the butterflies." The prince adds pointing at them. "Those guys just love to show off."

"What?" Fluttershy looks back at him in surprise.

"Yeah, I know. Usually, they are very shy around other creatures but years of them living without worrying about food or predators has tamed them somewhat." The prince looked back at Fluttershy with a smile. "And I'm sure that they, as well as the rest of the animals in here, would love to meet you."

"Really?!" Fluttershy asks in excitement.

"Of course." The prince responds with a smile "As I told you, you earned this reward, stay as long as you like."

"Blueblood I…I don't know what to say," Fluttershy tells the prince, choking and on the verge of crying from the happiness as she picks a family of squirrels. "This is all I ever wanted since I was a little filly, Blueblood. I'm so happy right now, thank you."

" I am so glad to hear it." The prince chuckled a little as he looks down to a little pup wolf who was seeking his attention. Smiling the prince began to scratch the young canine by his ears. "Perhaps, later on, you can even teach me some tricks on how to com–mph!" The prince finished petting the dog and was turning to regard Fluttershy only to find her lips pressing against his own in a big kiss that was intended for his cheek before she prances ahead of him to meet the other animals.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Fluttershy continues to chant in excitement. Not even aware of what she just did.

Recovering from the surprise, the prince has a good laugh and lets her have her moment.

_Ah well, better not ruin it._

"I will be at the party if you need me!" The prince calls out to her before heading back but not before stopping once he sees some animals looking at him in surprise "What?"

As a group, they all break out into a cacophony of chittering smirks and hoots and growls and even the occasional quite literal catcall. "Oh grow up" The prince scowled at them before continuing his march as they continue to their good-natured laughter. All the while, Stellar, who have been observing them from a distant vantage point in silence, smiled and nodded at the development before going back to work.


	35. The Five Deadly Nobles

**Act 2. The Five Deadly Nobles**

One of the princesses of the sun was happily chatting with a group nobles without a care in the world, when a familiar voice caught her attention and when she turned to find its origin. She saw two pegasuses approaching her, a white stallion who she quickly recognized as Sharp Shot, wearing a black mask that, when combined with his elegant tuxedo, a wine red vest and a rose in his lapel, cut a handsome figure. The pegasus mare who accompanied him was stunning as well. With a pair of wings double the size of those of a regular pegasus, her smooth white coat was groomed immaculately, her long silver mane was arranged in that ever so stylish, slightly messy and curly style that was all the rage at the moment and it draped down to cover her left eye. Her tail was similarly arranged and long. She was wearing a yellow evening dress, a necklace studded with precious gems, and a golden mask.

"Greetings your majesty" Sharp Shot greeted her once they were close and bow to her, yet the mare remains standing in front of the princess.

"Greetings Sharp Shot" The princess greeted him with a practiced smile before addressing the mare with a neutral expression "Ms. Tempo."

"Celestia" Tempo gave the princess a short nod while maintaining an expression of pure stoicism, the atmosphere between the two was unusually tense, affecting not only them but all the other Celestia's mingling about the room.

Both mares maintained eye contact with one another for a solid minute before the princess spoke again "Thank you for deciding to attend."

"And miss my godchild's party? Especially a completely new one that he himself created? That would be just cold." the mare responded, her tone light but her glare accusing. "Monarch of the sun, cold."

"I'm glad to see that your tongue as sharp as ever" Celestia replied in an even, if monotone, voice "By the way, when was the last time you sent a letter to my nephew? Seven? Maybe ten years ago?"

"It hard to write when you are banished from Canterlot and forbidden to any kind of contact."

"I'd never deny your right to send letters" Celestia respond.

"Save it, Celestia, just like before, the only thing you are concerned is your image with your subjects."

Celestia sighed and looked at the mare in sadness "Please Tempo, let us not do this tonight. If not for me, at least for Blueblood" She pleads her. "If you want to hate me, go ahead, but the last thing Blueblood wants or needs is seeing two old mares fighting at his party."

Tempo remained silent before looking away "For him, and I better have the chance to see him before this night ends."

Celestia was about to protest but for the sake of not making a scene, decided to relent "Just tonight" She finally managed to utter.

Tempo nodded stiffly before turning and started to walk away.

"There is nothing to worry about princess" Sharp Shot interjected at that moment, gaining the attention of the princess as he gave her a disarming smile. "I promise, we will be in our best behavior."

"Thank you Mr. Shoot" Celestia respond, a bit unsettled by his smile. Which even though it appeared completely normal, was putting the monarch on edge. "Please enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Oh, we will Princess, of that you can be sure. This concept your nephew is proposing is something that I find highly intriguing, with great latent potential, particularly with the implementation of this mask" He gestures towards his own before glancing at other ponies passing by. "A wise stallion once said 'Give a stallion a mask, and you will only hear the truth from him,' a paradoxical concept don't you agree, your highness? The real face of a pony reveals itself only once you cover it up."

"Indeed," The princess agrees with a neutral expression as she gets closer to him "You never know when somepony could be hiding their true face."

"Let go, Sharp Shot!" Tempo call for him from a distance "I want to see if they actually have real food for this party."

Sharp laughs at that and shakes his head. "Looks like they are calling for me, hope we can chat some more princess, but until then, have a nice evening your highness." He gives her a short respectful bow before going after Tempo.

_Tia, I might have heard wrong from the music, but did that mare say that she is…_ Luna called out to her sister using the mental link, but Celestia interrupts her before she could finish the thought.

_...I will explain it later Lulu, for now, I want security to be doubled around those two._

_What? Why?_

_Because I say so!_ The princess snaps at Luna before the real one headed to the nearest guard and gave the order.

Meanwhile on the second floor

The prince was casually chatting with a bunch of mares that had swarmed around him, while Pinkie observed from a distance with a piece of cake on her hoof "Adorable isn't it?" Scarlet tells Pinkie, startling the mare for a second as she approaches her carrying her own slice of cake. "Our beloved prince being doted upon by all of the noble mares," She tells her with a chuckle. "They are basically eating out of his hoof."

"Scarly! You made it" Pinkie squealed with glee, bringing her into a hug before looking at her in confusion "But how? Did you really receive **ALL** of Canterlot already?"

Scarlet for her part just smirked and lightly pushed Pinkie away "Miss Pie, please, I'm a renowned writer. I know my way around greeting ponies. Of course, I would know how to speed the formalities along far faster than would the princesses could" She boasted before looking at the prince again. "But enough about me, why don't you be a dear and tell me how the evening is going so far?" She inquired, taking a small bite of her piece of cake.

"Everything is going great! Every pony is having a good time and exchanging stories, look! Even my idea for a confetti fight is a complete success" Pinkie exclaimed. Pointing to a group of kids in the garden near the entrance, both nobles and commoners all having fun while using the confetti bombs Pinkie made as snowballs to throw at one another. Their parents not too far away chatting happily.

"So it seems, hmm and I'm also seeing the political game taking root as well," Scarlet commented, paying particular attention to some of the parents whispering to one another, or boasting their job, family or achievements. She even got a pleasant surprise when she saw what appeared to be the beginnings of flirting, here and there among the crowd.

_Oh, ho, ho! Now, this party is starting. Some beautiful little herds are forming._ She internally chuckled at the show before addressing her co-host once more "And how is our beloved prince doing so far?"

"Happily making more and more friends," Pinkie informed her with a smile before approaching Scarlet with a smirk. "And way to busy to hang out with you I'm afraid."

"Friends?" Scarlet chuckle in surprise " Is that what you call this? Pinkie dear, all those mares are nothing but geese!" Scarlet explained confusing the party mare.

"Geese? What do you mean?"

"Oh you poor, naive little filly" Scarlet reached out and condescendingly patted the pink mares check "You are still too innocent, but don't worry you will get it once you hit puberty."

"We're the same age!" Pinkie growled out in reply, making Scarlet chuckle once more "Sure dear, sure." She answered, sarcasm dripping off of her words before a guard approached Scarlet.

"Miss Lips, your presence is required in the kitchen" the stallion professionally informed her, making the poor mare to sigh in frustration.

"Ah, the job of a mare never ends, keep the good work dear. Oh and do me a favor, would you? Keep an eye on those mares swarming the prince and make sure you can see all of their hoofs at all times." She requested before following the guard away.

"What?" Pinkie asked again confused by what she meant.

"Not all of them wants to be friends, honey!" She warns them "Well…perhaps some do, but not the kind you want around him."

Once Scarlet Lips was finally gone, Pinkie weighed her words carefully looking back at the mares until she got scared by what she started noticing, how they all were looking at the prince like a piece of meat.

"Bluey!" Thinking fast Pinkie ran toward the group and went straight for the prince with a hug "Have you tasted the cake yet? It's the most delicious one I've made yet. Here let me show you." She quickly tells him before dragging him away from the mares as fast as she could.

At that moment in the wine cellar

A pony in the shadows finished putting on the clothes of the waiter he had knocked out, only stopping to admire the mask he was sporting.

"A royal masquerade, yet another example of how narcissistic and shallow, that pompous, snobbish, coward really is" He put the mask on and looked at his hostage, who, at the moment, remained unconscious, gagged, and bound with a rope. "A formal gathering where commoners and nobles celebrate together, in harmony. What a bunch of BS" The stallion remarks, putting on a bracer containing a hidden blade on his left forehoof. Then gave it a couple of tests, as to confirm that its mechanism still worked flawlessly. Once he is satisfied that everything was in order. He addressed the poor stallion once again.

"I know how this makes me look like the bad guy here, but before you jump to conclusions, just think on all the times that bastard has made you work to the bone for his own entertainment. Think of all the damage he has done throughout Canterlot ever since he could speak. The lives he had ruined, the nonsensical rules he has made in the past, the hypocrisy of saying how much he wants to change, yet he refused to face the consequences for all of his own mistakes!" In anger, the stallion lashed out and cut a barrel in half with his hidden blade. Taking a depth breath, the disguised stallion lifted the waiter up.

"Yeah, compare that with me, and you will see how I could even be considered a saint, even when they are paying me for this" He carefully hid the body inside of an empty barrel in the far corner of the cellar "Trust me" He picked up an empty silver plate and headed up to the entrance "Equestria will be better once that insufferable pest is gone for good"

Back at the party

While indulging themselves with some light chatter with other nobles and politicians, both Jet Set and Upper Crust paid close attention to the guards in the room and carefully analyzed their movements, searching for any change in their patrol routes. They did not have to wait long and soon they noticed how several guards were called away and thinned the security near them.

Acting fast, the couple exploited the opening, with Jet Set approaching a nearby open window while Upper Crust distracted the other nobles.

Once the coast is clear, Jet charges his horn and sent a signal to one of his servants, who revealed his head from inside a dense brush of bushes. The servant quickly moved quickly gave the noble a shortsword with gold filigree and ornamentation on the sheath depicting images of unicorns in the midst of a battle against Pegasus.

"Here is the relic you wanted sir" He whispers to him "But if I may ask why do you want…?"

"No, you may not!" Jet harshly whispered back, snatching the weapon from his hoofs. "Now get out of here before anyone sees you."

"Sir, I'm begging you. As a loyal servant, please think carefully about this, whatever you are planning to do, ask if it really is worth the risk. The prince really seems like he has changed, perhaps we should give him a chance and…"

"…And nothing. That brat has had more than enough chances, and he has yet to get one form of actual punishment" He hisses out in anger. "Now get out before the guards see you!" He commands his voice tinged with a hint of panic.

The servant can only sigh and follow his orders before hiding once more and exiting the castle, once out of sight Jet Set returns to the party, quickly hiding the weapon inside his clothes as he returns to his wife.

"Took your time, getting that sword" Upper Crust whisper at him in irritation.

"Our servant grew a conscience for a moment back there."

"Again?" Upper Crust just roll her eyes "Honestly, what is with this 'conscience tripe that everypony seems to be showing? It was cute at first, but now is just getting annoying."

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll deal with that once we get the power we deserve." Jet comforted her as they started to walk deeper into the party. "Until then, we will just have to play the waiting game a little bit longer."

While that happened, Blueblood and Pinkie continued to explore the dessert table. Or more accurately, Pinkie continues to pick different foods from it while Blueblood does his best to keep the tower of food she is forming balanced on a single plate.

"Ok Pinkie! I think that is enough." Blueblood finally snapped and stopped his friend the moment he hears the plate starting to crack. He puts the plate on the table and then addresses the party mare.

"I appreciate the gesture but I…" He pauses for a moment to take a second glance at the plate and then back at her "…one second."

Pulling a piece of paper and pen from his vest, he writes something down before folding the paper, so its message is easily displayed. placing it in front of the mountain of food on could see what it was, a challenge, 'Royal Masquerade, individual sharing is caring challenge, share as much as you can, the winner gets free publicity for a month. Participants, please put your restaurant name and empty plates next to the mountain.'

Soon, ponies read the challenge, and a lot of restaurant owners got to work offering parts of the food mountain.

"There, now where was I? Oh yes." He turns to look at Pinkie again "I appreciate the gesture, and you are right everything here tastes great. But I'm sure you didn't drag me here just to feed me our combined weight in food, right?" He asks her with a raised eyebrow

She sighs and shakes her head "No, its just what Scarly told me and what I saw. I noticed how all those mares were starting to look at you. I got concerned."

"Pinkie are you worried that, I'm attracting cougars and vipers?"

"Why is everypony keep making up animal names to refer to mares?" She asks in confusion "Seriously? Goose, Cougar, Viper? What does that mean?"

"Well, I don't know for the first one, but Cougar is a term referring to ladies that enjoy the company of younger me…ah, stallions, and can be a bit aggressive in their advances. Sometimes even taking advantage of their 'targets' innocence" The prince explains to her making air quotes when saying target.

Pinkie gasps at that "That doesn't sound very nice."

"Believe me vipers are much worse. Like poisonous snakes they can disguise themselves as all sort of types of personalities, from overly shy, to extremely confident, they match what their target is more attracted too. Then snare them into their mental game, and never let them go."

"Why would anyone do that?" Pinkie asks in fear and the prince shrugs " For power, as a hobby, for vengeance. There are lots of reasons they do it…but most of the time it's all about money." The prince mumbles in anger while looking away from Pinkie.

"Bluey?" Pinkie puts her hoof on his shoulder in concern.

"Sorry, some bad memories, in the business world, especially in those businesses with a lots of money, vipers are everywhere" The prince explains with a sigh before smiling at her "So you don't have anything to worry about, I can detect those kinds of mares miles away, and I'm more than capable of dealing with them."

"But what about the goose? You said that you don't know what those are plus…" She gets closer and whispers in his ear "Your mind is still human, there could be some things about pony society that you don't know about either."

The prince nod at that "True, but that is why my aunts are always around, right?"

"But…"

"Come on Pinkie, Scarlet is just trying to mess with your mind. Don't fall into her games."

Pinkie eye widened at the prince's declaration. "W-Wait? You knew what she is doing but…then?"

"A noble supporting the crown in hard times? A well-known socialite that has helped maintain peace in the city and could be a handy asset in strengthening the bond between the royals and the nobles? How can one turn down that kind of offer?"

"But that would mean…" Pinkie points at him before smiling and nods a couple of times with a smirk "Clever colt."

"I'm more than a face and a royal relative Pinkie, I will admit that I don't know what her end goal might be, but I sure as heck know that she has something planned," He admits to her with a wink before picking a donut off the table and gave it a bite. "Tell you what, if it helps you relax, I promise that if things go out of control, I will remove myself from the situation."

"How?"

"Simple, Stellar has been giving me stealth lessons, for a while now. I dare to say that even you would have a hard time finding me on a game of hide-and-seek."

That helped the pink mare relax as she openly laughed "Oh Bluey, that was a really good one, but I'm the champion of, hide and seek, no matter where you go I will be able to find you in…" The mare was rendered mute when she realized that she was talking to no one but the air. "…seconds?"

She desperately searched around for him, but there was not a single trace of his presence. Then she moves her hoof where he used to be, but there was no luck either "But I…I was looking right at him…and he didn't charge his horn, how did he do it?" She asked some nearby nobles.

After the initial shock had finally worn off, she just smiled and giggled softly to herself "Ok Bluey, you ask for it, ready or not here I come!" She yells before bouncing off deeper into the party in search for the prince.


	36. A Flickery Flame Of Fun

**A Flickery Flame Of Fun**

As the party was getting into full swing, the prince decided to indulge himself with some of the games outside the building, which in other circumstances. One might think belonged on a carnival or in a grand festival. Yet for some unexplainable reason, they all blended right in with the Masquerade. And to the delight of many some games seemed to be exclusive to it. Like the costume competition, the golden mask lottery and even a bachelor type of contest where stallions asked mares to give them a feather off their mask- one that Scarlet personally insisted in adding.

Unfortunately for him, each time that he tried to approach any game, a group of mares seemed to materialize from nowhere, and they prevented the prince from even having the chance to try his luck. Trying to be as calm and polite as possible, the prince kept telling his fans to please allow him a chance to breathe. Yet his wishes seemed to be falling on deaf ears as the mares just kept talking and complimenting him on any single action he made down to even the steps he was taking.

"Ladies, ladies! Please, I'm serious. Could you please just give me five minutes alone?" The prince pleads once more, yet he was only met with the same result.

"Ok! move along! For pony's sake, he's a stallion, not a piece of hayburger!" The prince heard a raspy female voice suddenly rang out. With some effort, the prince broke through the swarm of mares until he managed to see a pegasus mare with a mane and tail of fire, garbed elegant yet straightforward light blue dress which matched her mask. Forcing the mares to disperse near the prince, she flapped and arched her wings aggressively, much like a bird of pray when angered or threatened.

Much to the surprise of the prince, the display worked, and soon all the mares that were swarming him left, leaving the two alone. Of course, that was not before giving the mysterious mare the stink eye and a huff of indignation as they raised their noses into the air.

"That's it, keep it moving! Nothing to see here…bunch of harlots." The mare muttered the last part under her breath, her displeasure evident. Turning around to face the prince she continued. "You ok prince?"

"Yes, thanks for that. I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed." Blueblood responded gratefully. "How exactly did you do that? I have been trying to shake off those mares all evening, but nothing I said or did seem to work." He inquires intrigued to hear the mare's response.

"Oh, it was nothing, just a mare thing." The mare in question responded with a wave of a hoof. "The name is Spitfire by the way." She then offered her hoof for a shake. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, I would tell you my name, but I think that would be a bit redundant by now, right?" He replied back to her with a smile as he returns the gesture.

Spitfire laughed and nodded. "Yep, pretty much, Prince Blueblood." She answered as they end the hoof shake. "Also nice party dude, really. I have gone to both raves and fancy boring parties in the past, but this is the first time, I have seen both at the same time. It is definitely not a snoozefest, you got my seal of approval."

"Glad to hear it, say, miss, would you like to accompany me while checking out and partaking of the games this evening?"

She gasps and brings her hoof to her chest in mocking shock. "Your Highness! We've only just met, and you're already asking this poor maiden out on a date?!"

"What? No! I mean that is not…"

His objections are soon silenced when she openly laughs and shakes her head. "Oh relax Blue, I'm just yanking your tail." She assures him while wiping a tear of her eye. "And sure, I can hang out with you, in fact, it seems to me that you could use some protection in case more geese are lurking around." She says, getting next to him. "So don't worry, I got you covered. and if any mare gets frisky with you, I will gladly deck her, also drop the 'miss' thing, just call me Spitfire ok?" She announced, making the prince chuckle.

"Just deck them, that was a good one Spitfire."

"Yeah, I'm…not joking," Spitfire says with a serious tone.

"Wait, what?" The prince stared at her in shock.

"Like I told you, it a mare thing Blue. A lot of geese are here and without a mare near you to scare them away they will keep swarming you until you take one."

_Again with that word, maybe Pinkie was right about me not understanding all the pony's lingo yet._

"Don't worry I won't actually hit any mare that batts their eyelashes at you." Spitfire continues. "I will just let them know that I will if they get too friendly."

"Ah…well thanks, I guess." The prince responded, a bit unsure. "But if you insist on protecting me, could I ask what exactly do you mean by 'geese'?"

At that moment, Spitfire looked at the prince like he just grew a second head. "Are you kidding me? You don't know what a goose is?"

"The animal? Yes. The expression you are using right now? No." The prince answered honestly.

"Boy did the Princesses really keep you in the dark for way too long," Spitfire said, relaxing once more, before noticing a Princess Luna passing by and getting an idea that makes her smirk. "Tell you what, before I explain it, could you give me a solid?"

"Well sure, what do you need?"

"Oh, nothing too big." She points at Princess Luna. "Just let me stay by your side while you ask her the same question you asked me."

The prince looked at the princess and then back to Spitfire with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"Trust me, it will be awesome." She says, barely containing her laugh.

Reading her expression, the prince pondered his options before deciding to play along, for now. So with a shrug, he merely nods, and they both move to go see his aunt.

"Aunt Luna?" The prince calls her attention by poking her left side.

"Oh! Nephew, so glad to see you" Luna greets him with a smile. "I have to say, this party is a complete success, I haven't seen so many of our subjects enjoying my night like this in far too long, and I owe it all to you." She said before bringing him in for a hug.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. Scarlet and Pinkie were the masterminds that made this party possible." The prince responded to her while returning the gesture. "But enough of that. I actually wanted to ask you something, if it's not too much of a bother."

"Oh of course! What can I do for you, nephew?"

"Well I was wondering, do you by any chance, know what a goose is?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

The princess of the night just looks at him confused "Ah…that is a type of bird." She answered.

"What? Oh no, no. I didn't mean the actual definition." The prince corrected her as she went to serve some punch on a nearby table. "What I meant to say was, when referring to a mare, what is a goose?"

Luna's eyes widened in surprise as she just spits her drink. In the near distance, they all could hear different princess having a similar reaction, causing Spitfire to burst into laughter. "Oh Celestia, my sides…I just…and in domino effect too?!… Oh my stomach…I…I just can't!" She continued to laugh while holding her stomach and sides, nearly losing her balance, if it weren't for the prince who caught her in time, she would have.

"I'm…ahmmm…" That is all the poor princess managed to say before Spitfire stopped her.

"Don't…Don't sweat it, princess." She tells her while cleaning her eyes from some tears and clearing her throat. "I got this, just wanted to see the reaction that is all." She explains before pulling the prince away.

"Ahmmm." The princess said again, not entirely sure of what just happened.

"Ok, I will say, that reaction was kind of funny." The prince admits with a small smile.

"Kind of? It was hilarious! But not as much as yours once I tell you what a goose really means." Spitfire tells him with a smirk.

"Oh boy."

"Ok Blue, here it comes. The term 'goose' when you're talking about a chick means that the mare only wants you to mount her."

"Oh, that is what it…wait, WHAT?!" The prince's eyes widened in shock as he looks at the mare who just nodded in confirmation. "Yep, they can't wait to bend over and spread their flanks for you to 'poke' them. If you catch my drift." She tells giving him a small elbow and a wink.

"I…just, so those mares…why? How…? So many questions."

"I'd imagine, and I was right, that was hilarious." Spitfire laughed again before composing herself once more. "Anyway, the reason for them to act like, well basically whorses, is because of what you are, or more importantly, what you represent. You are the last living relative of the princesses, after all, the last pureblood royalty of your lineage. Do you have any idea of what it represents if you ever get a 'bun in the oven.'"

"Oh no, please tell me is not that..."

"Afraid so dude, those mares just want a nice roll in the hay, and claim the title of 'mother of royalty,' you breed them. They can claim the title, and it's all easy life for them. Since the princesses already do pretty much all the work in ruling this place and all that. Basically, your 'scepter' is the magic ticket for them to never have to work a day for the rest of their lives, geese desperately wanting to lay that sweet golden egg." Spitfire explained.

"Are all the innuendos really necessary?" The prince asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Would you prefer if I just simply say dick and pussy?"

"I…nevermind, the innuendoes are ok." The prince relents as Spitfire continues.

"That is what I thought, anyway. That's basically where the term comes from. It even gets more depressing." She continued as her expression got progressively more pensive and sad. "Since they already have the next of the lineage, they can file for divorce to get everything you have, and I mean everything and chances are…the court will side with the mare."

"That is terrible."

"You took the words right of my mouth Blue." She nods before smirking again. "So, do you still not want me to clean their clocks?"

"Fine, but only if they get 'too aggressive.'" The Prince remarked, deciding to just accept her help as placed on the condition.

_Dear God, no wonder Aunt Luna was rendered speechless. At least a gold digger just wants money, those mares are just pure evil._ The prince muses as they make their way toward some game stalls in the area.

"Ah, fair enough." She replies with a shrug. "Don't worry Blue." She bumps her flank against his. "Good old Spitfire's got your back." She comments jokingly.

"Thank you." The prince nodded in agreement as they approached a game of toss horseshoes. After paying the fee, the two started playing. "And since you offered to accompany for a while why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself Spitfire? What do you do for a living?"

"Oh, nothing big. I'm just the captain of this little group of expert fliers calls the Wonderbolts, perhaps you have heard of us." Spitfire comments, faking humility.

"Wait, you are the captain of that elite team?" The prince repeats in surprise. "But you are…"

"…Relaxed, easy going and calm?" She lists out with a knowing smirk.

"Ah well…ah…the thing is…" The prince tries to think of a way to save face before Spitfire just laughed again.

"Relax Blue, It happens all the time, ponies have this idea of a captain of some military group, and they think they are 'all business, and serious' **ALL** the time." She tosses the horseshoe "And yeah, that is how I usually am while I'm on duty, but I'm also a mare you know? It's different being in the field than here. Just like you act different between your aunts and your friends, or do you spend all day addressing everyone as 'aunts' or 'aunties'?"

"Ok, point taken, and wow mi…"

"Ah!" She stops him with her hoof. "What did I say about the 'misses'?"

"Sorry about that. Force of habit, and what I was saying is thank you for your service." He tells her with a smile, which to his confusion just made her groan. "Please don't make the salute."

"Why?"

"I told you, I'm off duty now, and I'm sick of ponies thinking that they need to be formal with me just because I have a military job." She looks at him with a serious face. "Just because I'm the captain of the wonderbolts doesn't mean that that is all I am. I mean, I love my job, and I love serving the crown, but that is just a part of who I am." She comments in sadness. "I thought you of all the ponies here would understand that, even more with the whole point of this party."

"I'm sorry, Spitfire, I didn't mean to offend. I just well it's kind of the second time meeting a member of the wonderbolts, and well, the first one wasn't exactly a quiet experience."

That piqued her interest. "Let me guess, Rainbow Dash?"

"How did you…?"

"Because the mare is possibly the only pony that loves the job more than I do, and of course, she will make it a pretty big deal about it." She confides him with some laughs. "I don't blame her though, its an awesome job and she is still wet behind the ears, but at the end of the day it's still just a job."

"Yeah, I can see that now, and don't worry, I get it now. No talking about the job while off duty."

"Thanks, Blue. That is the only thing I ask." Spitfire nods at him before giving him a stuffed teddy bear she just won. "Have a teddy."

"Oh?" He looks to the side and sees she already won the game when the prince only tossed a single horseshoe. "When did you…?"

"You snooze you lose!" She responds with a chuckle. "Now come, let see what other game I can destroy you in."

Blueblood just chuckles and shake his head. "Oh, it's on!"

For the next couple of hours, both of them spent the night playing the games in their silent competition, trying to see who could win more prizes. The prince did manage to put up a fair fight, yet it was clear that Spitfire had this in the bag, as she just kept winning every game they played.

"Damn, why can't I beat you in at least one?" The prince asks himself in disappointment as they both carried a mountain of plushies and dolls that they distributed mostly to nearby children.

"Simple, I'm just that awesome, but don't feel bad, you gave me a good fight for your first time." Spitfire bragged before noticing that the prince kept two dolls with him, one plushie of a cat and another of a dog. "Want to keep those two?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah I just wanted to give them to my aunts as a present." The prince replied. "I know it sounds corny, but I want to give them something as a way to say thanks for letting me throw this party."

"Dude, corny is being nice," Spitfire comments with a shrug. "But, if that is what you want, suit yourself." She then smiles at him. "The Prince has a sensitive side? To tell you the truth, I would never have imagined seeing that from you. Specifically, I would say something but being brave enough to show it in public takes a lot of guts."

The prince just chuckles. "What can I say, we all have an inner child in us. It nice to let them out from time to time."

"Yeah, not me though. I'm just pure awesome, even when I WAS a filly, there is nothing in this world that can make me act like a kid." She replied with confidence.

"Well, it's certainly refreshing, hearing a mare when she talks with such bravado." A voice behind the pair rang out and when they turned. They saw Tempo approaching them.

While the prince looked at her slightly confused as to who she might be, Spitfire's eyes widened in complete shock. "The will to take charge and be sure of all of your decisions is a trait that the captain of the wonderbolts must possess after all." Tempo continued talking as she reaches the two.

"You…you are..." Spitfire was rendered speechless by the presence of the mare. Which confused the prince, but before he could voice his concern, the mare spoke to him.

"Oh my dear boy just look at you, all grown up." She tells with a familiar motherly smile which the prince only had seen before with his aunts. "You grew up to be the spitting image of your father."

"Ah…you knew my father miss?" The prince asked and gulped, confused and surprised at what she just said, having to remember himself that she wasn't talking to the same person.

Tempo just looked at him in sadness. "You don't even remember that? Or did Celestia decided to keep that from you too?" She sighed and shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't matter now, what is done is done." She then smiled again. "Allow me to start again my name is…"

"You are Crossfire Tempo!" Spitfire finally manages to yells while pointing at her before screaming and jump in place like a fan filly. "The legendary, ex-captain of the Wonderbolts Crossfire Tempo! Oh my gosh, I'm talking with the legendary Crossfire Tempo right now!" her gaze focused on Blueblood with an unnerving intensity. "Blue, slap me! Right here in the check." She tells pointing to her face. "Please, help me confirm that I'm not dreaming right now."

"T-there is no need for that," Tempo called, lowering Spitfire's hoof and trying to de-escalate the situation, as she smiles at her. "We all grown up ponies here, right Ms. Spitfire?"

In that instant, Spitfire realizes what she just said and coughed to the side with a fluorescent blush on her face. "Y-yeah, you are right." She clears her throat once more and attempts to regain her composure once again. "It is an honor to meet a such a legend in person."

Understanding what happened now, the prince starts to chuckle but Spitfire point at hoof at him "Not. A. Word."

He remained silent and looked away, but his smile continued to grow.

"Shut up!" Spitfire yelled at him in annoyance.

"Live by the sword, die by the sword honey." The prince finally states, but before Spitfire could retort back, Tempo spoke up once more.

"Anyway, as I was saying, yes my complete name is Crossfire Tempo, but today I go simply by Ms. Tempo. And as for you, you can call me Aunty Tempo". She offers to the prince with a smile. Not far away from them, the real princess Celestia could see their conversation as it unfolded while serving herself a drink. Everything was perfectly fine, right until Tempo called herself 'Aunty.' The drink in her hoof immediately started to boil, and everything around the monarch began to heat up. The air itself began to distort as waves of heat radiated away from the solar monarch. Within this tightly controlled but slowly growing radius of wrath, cloth began to smoke and the cup held in Celestia's hoof, a beautiful work of silver began to melt.

The enraged solar princess began to make her way toward the group, but to their luck or misfortune, Luna intervened and blocked her way.

"Tia..."

"Not... now... Lulu. There is something I must…" Celestia growled out, but her sister would have none of that as she put her hoof on her breastplate, which had begun to glow a dangerous cherry red around the edges. "Outside. Now."

"But I need-" Her protest was cut off when Luna charged her horn and without warning teleported the two outside the castle. Some staff looked at the condition Celestia left the place and began to extinguish the fires as fast as possible, the guards providing some assistance. All the while Sharp Shot admired the whole show while leaning against a column and eating a piece of cake.

_The queens just left the board._

He then turns his attention to the prince who was looking at Tempo with a raised eyebrow. _Now, for the bishop?_

"Excuse me?" The prince asked, confused by what she just said.

"Perhaps this could help you understand things better." She then takes out a small picture from her dress and handed it over. Once the prince looked at the photo, he was left just as flabbergasted as Spitfire was when they saw the childlike visage of the prince and a younger Tempo.

"I'm your godmother, sweetie." Tempo tells them both with a smile. "Picked by your mother herself."

"I…I just-" The prince tries to process what was happening yet his surprise paled in comparison to Spitfires, whose brain was in complete overdrive. "You are Crossfire Tempo's godchild?! The legend of the wonderbolts is your godmother?! I…she…you, I just…I just…" It was too much for the poor mare as she passed out from the shock.

"Spitfire!" Blueblood catches her, but her body weight and the awkward angle of the catch was too much for him alone, and he starts to lose his own balance. Tempo though quickly came to his aid. Stabilizing Spitfire before scooping her up placing her on her back. "You know, I imagined this going completely different." She said with a tired smile.

"Poor mare, we need to take her to the infirmary and…" Blueblood began to plan out loud only for Tempo to stop him by lifting a hoof "Please dear, allow me. You stay here."

"But I…"

"As touching your concern for her is Blueblood, and it really is. Something tells me that right now you need a moment to breathe, am I wrong?"

The prince just looks down in sadness. "Don't be so sad sweetie." Using her wing Tempo lifted his head. "We both have been tricked by the words of the princesses."

"Tricked?"

Before he could say anything else, Tempo turned around and trotted away. "I will take care of your marefriend sweetie, you just worry in calming down and organizing your thoughts." She calls before disappearing among the crowd with Spitfire. The prince remained confused about what was happening and decided to walk toward a nearby balcony to analyze what he just experienced while holding his head in pain.

As expected a significant number of guards followed Tempo as she looks for the infirmary, smirking Sharp Shoot finished his plate and stretched.

_Not what I expected, but by far, better_ Sharp Shot smiled malevolently as he walked in the opposite direction of the prince, knowing full well that guards were following and effectively leaving Blueblood completely vulnerable, and ready to be a struck down by his associates. _Check!_

* * *

Next Chapter, will be post October 2, and it will be big event. In case you want to read it first, check it out on my page


	37. Final Act Treacherous Pride

**Final Act. The Treacherous Pride**

As the evening reaches midnight, the celebration seemed to have reached its zenith, with everyone enjoying themselves while making lasting memories with the new type of party. Unfortunately, not all was fun and games in the castle, as one shadowy figure disguised as a waiter, at last, managed to spot the prince of Canterlot all by himself, looking out into the night at the top of a flight of stars on a balcony, lost deep in thought.

It was undoubtedly a unique opportunity that he wasn't going to miss, so he made his way toward his unexpecting target with a drink on a silver plate in one hoof, and a hidden blade on the other.

He began to close the distance, but before he could get close enough to strike, a certain pink mare found him first and surprised the assassin with an unexpecting yet strong hug. "Bluey! There you are." She chuckled as she looks at him with a smirk, "You thought that a waiter costume could fool this mare? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this mister, but this mare has the eyes of a hawk!" She looks him in the eye with a smile. "Speaking of which, that's a nice touch with the contact lenses, total devotion to the disguise, but unfortunately it's still not enough to shake me off your trail!" She booped his nose with her hoof. "Still it was entertaining, let's do it again!"

The assassin blinked at her owlishly in confusion and then in concern when he noticed that the two of them were gathering the attention from the nearby guests and worse, the royal guards. "Sorry miss you have me confused for somepony else." The assassin states flatly as he tried to brush her off and push the mare away, but she refused to let him go.

"Oh come on Bluey, I know it's you. So stop with the charade." She chuckled and grabbed his hoof. "Come on, let's play something el…" She then felt something in his hoof and grew confused when she saw a thin bracer, discreetly tied along his foreleg. "Oh, what is this?" She asks in confusion while playing with the device.

"Wait, no!" The assassin tries to stop her but it's too late as she activates it, the blade snapping forth and in to place, its dully glinting tip almost reaching her face. "Bluey..." Pinkie slowly looked up to him in concern. "Why do you have a hidden blade?" She then notices something else that caused a pang of fear to shoot down her spine. "And why are you not wearing a horn?"

The guards, now alert and closing fast, caused the would-be assassin to panic and shove the mare away before throwing a smoke bomb on the ground to startle everyone and break line of sight on him. Taking advantage of the confusion, he threw caution out the window and charged out of the smoke at the prince who surprisingly hasn't noticed him yet. He leaped into the air with his weapon at the ready and bears the prince to the ground while plunging the blade into the prince's neck and spine.

The assassin smiled in triumph for precisely one second before becoming concerned and then scared when the prince just chuckled with an eerily high pitched voice, his head slowly rotating hundred and eighty degrees to looking him in the eyes, revealing that he was nothing but a scarecrow disguised as the prince with a smirk on its face. "Welcome to your trap," The scarecrow hisses out before grabbing his hoof and disarming the assassin. its jaw then hinges open impossibly wide and from it, a net fires out and entangles him and immobilizing him on the ground.

Startled and confused the assassin tries to break free while noticing that the guests around him wavered like mirages before dissipating to reveal even more soldiers, all armed, armored and approaching him with Amber leading them while Stellar stayed behind with a charged horn which she just turned off.

"Well lookee here ladies and gents! We caught us a big one." She chuckled while looking at her companions. "An assassin attempting regicide? And the beloved nephew of the princesses to boot? Oh, you are so going to Gelded Maiden, Bub." She smirked as the stallion continued to struggle with the net.

Something the guardspony finally caught the attention of the stallion though and he paused in his struggles to speak. "Beloved nephew? Please, that sack of manure is as loved as a root canal." He replied, earning himself a solid back hoof in the face from Amber. "Consider yourself warned, speak about our prince like that again and I will cut out your tongue," Amber warned him in anger.

"Are you alright miss Pie?" Another guard called out while he approached Pinkie Pie and helped her back to her hooves. "Yeah, I think so... what is going on?" She asked, somewhat confused at all that was happening around her.

"It looks like you stepped into Stellars illusion miss. How though, I have no idea. I was under the impression that the spell had a perfect success rate in keeping civilians out of the affected area. We detected the intruder the moment he took down one of the waiters, we then enspelled and lured him here into this empty ballroom to detain and interrogate him." He explains "It's a good thing too, since it appears that he was planning to take the prince's life."

She gasps and looked at the scarecrow still holding the blade. "He was?" She then looks at the stallion in question. "Oh wow. He is mean."

The assassin meanwhile just keep staring at Amber. "Loyalty, I can respect that" He then grabs his mask. "Too bad, yours is to a soulless monster."

Pinkie gasped when in front of them, they saw their a pony having a striking resemblance to the prince staring back at them with a glare. Not only that but before being covered by it, they all saw an X scar on his forehead where a horn would have been.

"Well, at least you have a pretty face" Amber half-joke at the revelation, but Pinkie was still freaking out.

"Amber! Look at his eyes, he's a crystal pony!" Pinkie yells at everypony in the room.

"Do **NOT** compare me to that bastard!" The assassin screams in complete rage. His blue eyes flashing red as an aura of the same color engulfed his body and start to burn everything around him. Both the net and a golden wig he was wearing burnt away, revealing a black mane and tail.

"Guardsponies! To arms!". Amber yells in warning to the cohort of guards around who immediately began to react, but it was too late as the stallion spat what appeared to be a translucent magma from his mouth hitting some other nearby guards. The afflicted ones scream out in pain as the assassin makes good of his escape, diving out of a nearby window. Some of the guards give chase while Pinkie, Stellar and Amber along with a smaller squad of soldiers with medical training stayed behind and went to tend to their injured comrades. Amber attempted to hold one of the struggling guards down only for her hoof to get burned on contact with the magma.

"Amber are you…" Pinkie tried to help, but Amber shakes free of the pink mares helping hooves. "Don't touch me! It will burn you!" She warns her off through clenched teeth "Get out of here, it's not safe ."

"But you are injured!" Pinkie protested as she pulls a fire extinguisher from her mane emptying its pressurized contents over the guards in hopes of extinguishing the flames but to no avail. "We need to take you to the infirmary!"

"I said, Go after him!" Amber yells again in complete fury. Pinkie got worried when the guard stood up again and looks at her in rage, her eyes turned red, and Fire began to emerge from her injury. "Amber?"

"Of course you wouldn't listen, stupid civilians are always getting in the way, would it kill you to obey just ONE command!" Her mane actually ignited in flames as Amber dipped forwards aggressively to attack her. Not only that, but the other guards that were affected by the fire were doing the same, and appeared to spread the anger to their victims, like some sort of burn infection.

"Guys?" Pinkie asked in fear when she found herself surrounded by brainwashed and enraged guards, Stellar trying to guard her.

Meanwhile, in the real ballroom.

The prince was lost in thought while leaning on a balcony. His mind still was churning with questions and doubts he could not even begin to figure out how to even ask. Tempo's words still ringing inside his head.

_You are the spitting image of your father._

The Prince shook his head rapidly, trying to clear his mind. _Father, I have a father, another father. Most likely an even better father. Of course, I would have one here too. A pony dad and mom, it's so obvious now. Yet why did I never bother asking about them before? More importantly…,_ The prince looked over his shoulder to see one pair of princesses chatting with the nobles. _Why would my aunts never mention them even once, after I had a brush with death like I did? Did…something happen? Did they get into a fight? If so, why did I end up living with my aunts instead of with them? I mean, if it was a question of safety, I suppose two demigods could be the best possible option…_

The prince stopped to think over what he just realized. _Holy crap, I have what are basically two demigods as blood relatives! Ok, seriously, it has been almost two months but how the hell did I miss that?!_ He scowled to himself for missing such a staggering revelation before shaking his head _Calm down, calm down, that is a…whole can of worms you do NOT want to open right now. Concentrate on what is currently happening._

He looked up at the stars. _So what happened to my pony parents? Are they in a secret diplomatic mission? Or perhaps they died? If they're alive, should I figure out how to reconnect with them? With all the political games, what does the family I know have to say?_

The prince holds his head, a migraine having sprung up as the questions continued to pile up unabated _Argh! So many questions! Why isn't anything easy?_

"Prince Blueblood?" Slightly startled by the new voice, the prince looked behind him once again only to find Jet Set staring back at him with a smile. "Taking a break from your party, I see. Are the activities of the night starting to overwhelm you?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

In response, the prince just sighs and turns his attention back to the moon, so Jet can't see him rolling his eyes. "What do you want Jet Set?"

"Well, aren't we a bit cold toward one of your closest friends? And here I just wanted to talk with…"

"Jet, no offense but right now I would like to be alone if you don't mind."

The tension in the air started to get heavier.

"And what happens if I DO mind?"

The prince just groaned in frustration and shook his head. "Whatever, I'm leaving" He turned to leave, but Jet blocks his way.

"As I said, I want to talk."

"And like I said, now is not the best time."

"Oh sure, it's not. It never is, right?" The prince ignored him once again as he passed Jet Set, and entered the ballroom with Jet Set giving chase, "You are always busy, with other projects, right? Never owning up to your mistakes, always running away. Searching for a scapegoat to take the fall for your errors." Jet Set screams as the prince continue walking.

_Geez, what got into him?_ The prince thought in concern as Jet Set turns more aggressive.

"Who is going to be the next one to pay for your mistakes prince? Your maid? A Guard…perhaps that Fluttershy mare you took advantage of off in the gardens?"

That last comment caught Blueblood off guard as he sees a lot of the guests gasping in shock and looking at him with disgust "What?" The prince asks in disbelief as he slowly turned around to face Jet but is then surprised when Jet Set pulls out a golden sword and points it at him

"You can't keep running forever, Blueblood, the time for you to pay for your crimes has finally come!" Jet yells trying to grab as much attention as possible

"Jet, what are you doing?" The prince asks, the raw edge of worry creeping into his voice, as they both start to gather an audience, he could even see Upper Crust faking surprise while subtlety motioning for more ponies to come and see. For some reason, Blueblood couldn't see any guards either, and the changeling princesses that were there just stood there, apprehensive.

_So they want an audience for this? I suppose this means they don't want my head then? I'm pretty sure, no one wants to see a public execution and those two couldn't possibly be so stupid as to go invoking my aunt's wrath._ The prince ponders as Jet continues.

"I'm imparting justice."

That is the only reply Jet gave the prince before lifting his sword. The prince was about to dodge of the way. When to his surprise, instead of attacking, Jet tossed the sword to the ground in front of the prince. "Prince Blueblood of Equestria, by the ancient law established by Commander Hurricane herself. I, Jet Set. As a graduate of Celestia School for Gifted Unicorns and member of the noble peerage in good standing, formally accuse you, Prince Blueblood with the crimes of abuse of power, and of breaking innumerable laws without punishment. I declare you unfit, unjust and unable to lead Canterlot and therefore issue a duel for your position."

He then took out and tossed multiple copies containing the list of past crimes Blueblood made public for everyone to see "The prince himself has shown us his crimes Canterlot, the right of challenge is justified!"

Jet tells taking a step back from the prince and favors him with a baleful glare.

"Do you accept?"

_Ok…what is happening?_ The prince asked himself as he tries to recover from the jump and the unexpected challenge. "This is ridiculous, I'm not going to fight you, just because you challenge me. Besides, I can't fight you even if I want. I don't have any proper training on sword fighting ." The prince replied yet, his challenger did not back down.

"Don't you dare act all high and mighty Blueblood! Did you or did you spend time this last couple of weeks training with the help of your elite guards?" Jet accused the prince taking him by surprise.

"How did you know that?" The prince questioned, surprised by the revelation.

"Go ahead and deny it if you want, just like everything else," Jet Set remarks while continuing to rile up the nobles "You preach about turning over a new leaf yet as soon as a problem arises you turn tail and refuse to acknowledge it?" He stomps into the ground shattering tile, and charged his horn, lifting a chunk of the floor up into the air before making it shine, and transform into another regular sword which he then grabs with his hoof and points it at the prince. Finally, some guards took notice of the developing situation and moved to surround the prince in a protective matter, yet this action does not discourage Jet Set. In fact, it seemed to only drive him to new heights of righteous anger. "No more. We, the ponies of Canterlot have endured your presence for far too long and gave you all the opportunities for redemption. That time is far gone, and it's time for you to pay for your past crimes, now pick up that sword and face me like a stallion! Or forfeit the battle, and with it, your title as a prince." Jet Set commands the prince pointing at the golden sword in front of the prince.

Jet Sets grandstanding continued gathering more ponies, and to the misfortune of the prince, he started to notice some of them were looking at him with stern looks, others were beginning to mumble to one another. He also saw how the swords had the guard and hilt modified. It resembled more a hollow cupholder, with enough room for a hoof to fit inside.

"Even princess Luna sought our forgiveness and underwent one thousand years of banishment for her transgressions against the crown, with her title stripped away."

_My Aunty did what? _The prince then remembers the words his aunt Luna told him on the first night he spent in Equestria. _Auntie…was that the past you were telling me about?_

The prince felt sad for his auntie until he thought of the angry glares that he was starting to collect from everyone present in the room.

_No, this isn't good. Jet Set is trying to spread distrust and anger toward me. If I don't stop this, the point of this party will be lost, my aunts will be back to square one…no it could even get worse. Scarlet…was this your end game? _

The prince tensed and gulped as he weighed his options and tried to read the room to determine the best course of action.

"Jet Set please, be reasonable. You are demanding a duel against a pony that has never lifted a sword in his life, a complete and total novice with a blade. What honor or satisfaction is to be gained by beating a newcomer."

Blueblood said before looking at everyone. "As you all know, my memories are gone, I have recognized that in the past I was someone far from deserving forgiveness, but I'm telling you everypony, that pony is gone. And the stallion standing in front of you just wishes to put all of that past behind him." bending down, Blueblood then pick one of the copies of accusations that Jet had thrown. Appealing to the crowd's compassion, "I promise you that I will be held responsible for my actions."

He looks back at Jet with a stern expression. "But it will not be like this, violence can't solve all of your problems, even less so when it's not fair for one of the participants, if you have a dispute with me then let us talk like civilized…"

"…Look at him ponies of Canterlot!" Jet interrupted him and addressed the crowd, setting the guards even more on edge than they already were. "Look at our supposed prince of Equestria, a scared and fragile colt" He points at the plushie the prince was still carrying. "So afraid to confront his own consequences that he refused to fight me! As I enforce the law one of our own founders established!"

The audience starts to glare at the prince and start to voice their own angered opinions.

"It's true."

"The prince is nothing but a coward!"

"He doesn't even care on stomping on the constitution!"

"Is this the prince, we want?" Jet asks stoking the crowd even more. "Is this the pony we want as our ruler? What kind of monarch does as he pleases and never accepts his mistakes? Or better yet, what kind of princesses would let such a pony, walk away without any consequences?"

The prince eyes wide in horror at his words as the audience agrees to Jet Set's words. _No, not that, Jet Set, don't you dare!_

"How can we trust the princesses of Equestria when they refuse to enforce their own law, and deny us the right to challenge the prince?! The law is clear everypony, just as Commander Hurricane said and later ratified with her friends, an unfit commander has no place in leadership, a prince without authority doesn't deserve a crown, a chancellor without respect for the law has no business on the desk. The prince of Equestria is all of those things, nothing but a mockery of the title and a bad joke for all of us to endure. He has no power, no right to order us around and no place living here in the castle with our monarchs."

"YEAH!" The audience get even more violent, and the guards now stood on the knives edge, ready to defend the safety of the prince

"Yet the princesses keep hiding the idiot behind their tails, the act itself, even now in light of all this evidence, it's an insult to all of us. If they will not respect the law then how can we trust…?"

"STOP!" The prince yells bringing all the attention to him once again, even the guards look at the prince with confusion. Breathing heavily the prince levitated his plushie away, giving it to a nearby Luna and Celestia, before taking a step forward and regarding at the sword in the ground. With eyes closed and a shaking hoof, he managed to take up the weapon "Don't…don't involve my aunts into this." He tells Jet Set with barely contained tears.

_I'm sorry aunty Celestia…aunt Luna. But there is no other way. I…I can't break Canterlot even more._

Sniffing once and cleaning his eyes he looks at Jet Set with determination. "Jet Set, as you said. I need to repent for my crimes, like a stallion."

The guards gasp and gather around the prince "Your Highness no!, Please listen to reason! I know his reputation, He is a master swordspony and duelist, you stand no chance against him!" One of them says his concern.

"I know…but it the only way," The prince tells him back in anger. "At least this way I save my aunts reputation."

"Heh, so you finally listen to reason and admit that you had…" Jet chuckled at him, but the prince interrupted the stallion before he could continue.

"Nevertheless, It IS as I said, I have no experience with sword fighting, so if we really are going to do this, and if my knowledge of dueling etiquette is correct. I, as the challenged party, get to choose the weapons. As such we use only training swords, that will be my condition." The prince declared "Step down my level in a fair duel or win with dishonor by fighting a pony who has never held a sword before" He then toss the golden sword away, the ponies around them curious by his claims and look at Jet Set in expectation for his response.

The noble stallion meanwhile stated a mental link with his wife.

_Now what? Our plan depended on him using the sword._

_Don't worry honey just repeat after me._

"It will not be that easy prince, but if it will save me from having to listen to any more of your excuses? Fine, but I will not be denied my right to a proper fight, we will using live steel swords with their scabbards bound by honor knots to the guards. Should be satisfactory...Prince?"

The prince thought it over for a moment before merely nodding in agreement. A guard soon brought forth the sword he has previously throw and quickly removed his own scabbard, sheathing the blade and tying it down securely. The guard then nodded to the prince and returned the weapon to the Prince.

"Now, Jet Set, if you would?"

"Oh, but of course prince." He was about to conjure a scabbard for his own blade when the prince held up a hoof, " No, use one of my guard's scabbards." the prince told him with a glare, his tone brooking no argument. Jet seethed inside but outwardly remained calm, ultimately smiling "As you wish" Jet Set accepted another guard's scabbard and placed it on his own sword. Securing it with a jerk of the bindings.

"Now, shall we begin?"

"Lets." the prince agreed as they both leave toward the garden followed quickly by their audience and the royal guards. The noble couple smirking in victory

_Now everything's in place, just finish him, darling!_

_With pleasure, how long will it take before the spell takes hold again, dear?_

_It already has, and will just keep increasing its power, as long as he holds that sword, his fears, and anguish will keep piling up and increasing until he is nothing more than a scared and pathetic kitten._

_So it should not take long then? Shame, I really wanted to enjoy this._

_Patience my dear, removing him will be but a stepping stone towards our destiny._

All the while this was happening the changelings kept trying to contact the real princesses. Yet each attempt they made was met with white noise and broken fractions of their voices as if they were out of range from their mental link.

In the meantime, outside the castle.

"Formal Attire herself choose that mare to be Blueblood's legal guardian?" After managing to calm Celestia down, the princess of the night started questioning her sister about why she had been so on edge since her encounter with Tempo, so reluctantly, Celestia gave in and told her the whole story. Luna, in turn, returned to being confused once again by the entire ordeal.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that she is worthy of the title, not anymore at least." The princess replied, her voice full of venom towards the mare.

"Would you care to elaborate dear sister? Because so far, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like you took away our nephew from a mare who by law, has the right to raise him all along."

"I needed to take him away from her Lulu, you have to understand, Crossfire Tempo…she hasn't been the same mare Formal Attire entrusted her son to in the first place," Celestia whispers out, pity tinging every word before sighing and looking back at her sister.

"When Blueblood's parents died, Tempo has suffered a terrible accident during one of her exhibition flights, one that forced her to be on a full body cast for years. It was a terrible experience for her and a potentially worse for Blueblood. She couldn't even move and was barely able to breathe. Of course, she was in no condition to take care of our nephew. He was 3 years old at the time, for pony's sake Luna!"

Celestia bellowed out loud in exasperation before pausing for a moment to compose herself. "I couldn't leave any of them alone like that, so an agreement was made. In exchange for letting me be Blueblood temporary guardian, Tempo could live in the castle and have access to the royal staff for her recovery, it was the least I could do…but then things took a turn for the worst for that poor mare and by the time she recovered she was somepony else, somepony that no longer wanted to lead the wonderbolts."

"What happened?"

Celestia was about to respond when they heard the shouts of the guards. "Stop! You criminal!" Off in the distance and when they look towards the source of the ruckus, both monarchs were shocked to find their nephew, on fire and being chased by a group of guards that were firing arrows at him.

Acting fast, the princesses rushed toward them, and Luna used her magic to stop the guards while Celestia gets in the way of the 'prince.' Yet she gasps when she notices the black mane and scar on his face as he merely shoved her out of the way and makes his escape.

"What is the meaning of this?" Luna asks her guards in anger.

"Your Highness, you don't understand, that is the assassin!" One of the guards, a thestral, answered her.

"What?!" Both sisters screamed as Luna ends her spell.

"He is a crystal pony, who tried to kill Prince Blueblood. Most likely he is the same criminal that made the first attempt, we and some sentinels managed to corner him, but all of a sudden, he surrounded himself with a red aura and starts spitting some strange magma that injured some of our comrades and then made his escape!"

"He is the one that…" Celestia's eye flashed white in rage as she slowly starts to look in the direction in which the assassin ran away. "Where did he go?" Before she could do anything, Luna stops her sister once more, this time her face filled with determination yet also worry for both her sister and her nephew's sake.

"Focus sister, we don't have the luxury of act irrationally now. Time is of the essence" Luna pleaded with her sister.

"O-of course…you are right, Luna," Celestia tells her while regaining her composure. With a nod, Luna lay down her plan

"Leave the chase to me, I can navigate my night better than you."

"Understood, and I will go fetch Cadence. If this stallion really is a crystal pony, perhaps she would know exactly what he did and how to combat it." Celestia informed her, and with a nod, both princesses take action as Luna with her guards resume the chase and Celestia teleports away in search of her niece. Neither of them noticed the small red flame on Celestia's chest left by the assassin, as that was starting to glow and spread.

While that transpired back in the castle, chaos was spreading in the main hall at an alarming rate as both Pinkie, and the guards kept losing ground.

"Oh come on guys! It's a chocolate cake?! Who doesn't like chocolate?" Pinkie complained before hiding again behind her party cannon while guards smeared with the desert shot magic beams at her.

A guard quickly picked up the poor mare while the remaining group headed to the double door, closing it behind them and trapping the afflicted guards. Pegasus guards did a quick job of securing the windows, using snow clouds to seal them with dense layers of snow.

In the second entrance, guards held the door as their companions tried to break free, while the rest attempted to recover their breath. "Miss Pinkie, could you please not anger our partners even more?" one guard told her while Stellar checked the mare for any burn marks, before sighing in relief once she didn't find any.

"But it was chocolate cake. Chocolate. Cake. Who can remain angry after having a taste of that?" Pinkie argues back.

"Well, I'm not that crazy for chocolate actually." One of the guards holding the door informed the party mare before leaning against the door once more when it was about to break open. "Ah, perhaps this is not the best moment to discuss flavor preference."

"Agreed." The guard helping Pinkie nodded before looking at her. "This place is no longer safe miss Pie. We need you to go seek help before this spirals out of control any more than it already has."

"Okie Dokie!" Pinkie makes a salute and dashes away. Once she is gone the guard addresses Stellar who keeps looking at the door intently.

"Think you can give us a scream?" The guard asks her in worry to which she merely looked at him and nodded before looking at the door again and began to inhale.

"Ok fillies and colts! We will be using the sonic hammer! On my mark, clear the way!" He instructs the ones holding the door. Once he gets confirmation the guard look at Stellar, who plants her hooves on the ground and lowers her head.

"Steady…" He pays attention to Stellar's actions until she lifts her head once again. "…NOW"

The guards dive out of the way and cover their ears, letting the enraged soldiers jump out into the open, only to run face first into a near solid wall of sound caused by the scream emanating from Stellar, one so big and powerful that it threw them all back and obliterated all the glass nearby.

Startled and holding their ears in pain, the corrupted soldiers were easy to restrain, quickly being apprehended and immobilized by the unicorn's spells or chains and manacles used by the pegasus and earth guards.

Their victory is short-lived though, as they see a hole torn in the floor in the middle of the room and Amber was unaccounted for.

"What room is below this one?!" One guard asks in fear.

"The royal kitchen…which is where Scarlet currently is." Another soldier answered, making him and the others gulp and look at the hole in worry. "May Equestria have mercy on that mare." The guard tells them in fear.

Meanwhile on the center of the Royal Garden

The tension in the garden was almost palpable as both stallions kept eyeing one another while making their final preparations to start the duel, a noble stallion by the name of Fancy Pants had agreed to act as the judge for the event; an impartial third party that would ensure fairness during the duel and will not tolerate any cheating. For a moment, Jet Set gulped when Fancy was in the midst of inspecting the swords that they would be using, only to breath in relief when he nodded and gave them back to both of them. His wish winking with a smirk.

While both Jet and Blueblood studied their opponent's body language, Fancy Pants went over the rules of the duel.

"The rules of the duel are simple. The stallion who is disarmed is unable to continue the fight or surrenders, loses. Both combats have chosen the use of a sword and as such, said weapon and your hoofs will be the only forms of attack allowed during the duel. Magic is permitted but only as a means to avoid or defend, illusion magic is forbidden, as well as strikes to vital organs or the eyes.

The arena will be enchanted so that it will heal and/or regenerate any injury that you might accrue during the fight, but the pain from the injury will remain. Keep that in mind."

_Wait, regenerate? So that means that we can cut off limbs too? Oh boy, now I'm happy I demanded our swords to be sheathed._ The prince thought as Fancy kept talking.

"Additionally, the only offensive magic allowed is that which is cast on or through the sword itself. As long as the weapon is what is being used, it will be allowed." Fancy continued. "There will not be a time limit. Since the duel was issued due to the evidence of crimes against should the prince loses his title will be removed."

"And be given to me" Jet Set added snidely, earning a glare from Fancy Pants.

"You overstep your boundaries, Jet Set, the law allows you a duel with the prince and nothing else. You can only claim that title if you get the approval of the people of Canterlot, and only when and IF you win" Fancy calmly remarks back to the noblestallion.

" Can you not hear them?! I have the approval of the people, Fancy Pants. That title is as good as mine" He claims, assured of his impending victory.

The monocled noble just shook his head and rolled his eyes in response as he continued "If the prince in turn wins, it will be declared that he been absolved of all of his previous crimes, all of them. The battle will start as soon as I give my signal; Duelists, do you understand?"

Both stallions nod and ready their weapons, waiting for Fancy Pants' signal.

At that moment, a curious Fluttershy took notice of the growing crowd as well as the prince and approached them intrigued, by the gathering.

"Ah excuse me?" She asked a nearby noble. "Do you know what is going on?"

"Prince Blueblood is about to receive a beating." He responds in excitement.

"W-W-What?!" Fluttershy gasps in shock.

"I know, right?" The stallion smiled and look back at the two ponies. "That narcissistic, spoiled brat has had this coming for a very long time."

Fluttershy desperately tried to move forward and stop the fight, but her efforts are soon denied by a group of soldiers acting as security.

"You can't go beyond this point miss." One of the guards tells her.

"Let me go! We need to stop this, Blueblood…he is going to get hurt!"

"I'm sorry miss." The guard answered her with a neutral expression. "The prince is bound by ancient law written from the times before the Princesses. We can't do anything... no matter how much we may want to."

"But…it's not fair, he didn't do anything bad." Fluttershy tries again, but her efforts are met with the same result. "He is a changed pony, he really wants to prove it to everyone, violence will not solve anything. Please…some pony, stop this." She looks at the prince in fear and worry. "Blueblood!"

Due to the shoutings of the nobles and the effects of the sword starting to mess with his head, the prince was unable to even register Fluttershy's voice and instead could only perceive the hate and anger everyone was aiming at him.

_Not even a single one is going to support me? But I…I thought I was really getting to them? What did I do wrong I…No! There is no time for that, just calm down. Stay focused_

The Prince shakes his head, trying to clear his mind as both stallions await for Fancy's signal. No one in the garden noticing the small fires coming from the castle as another battle inside was taking place. The changelings were finally able to get in to contact with the princess but for some reason could only hear yells and screams in their heads.

"Begin!"

It was Jet Set seized the initiative, exploiting the prince's small distraction as he lashes out and lands the first strike. The leather and wood of the scabbard impacting with a dull thunk and a burst of pain for the prince but otherwise causing no lasting damage. The pain and surprise though made the prince lose his footing for a second as their swords clashed again. Locking into a bind and bringing the two stallions heads close enough to talk. "What is the matter, prince? Scared?" Jet Set taunted Blueblood with a smirk, his tone jovial.

"What happened to 'we were friends'?" The prince queries in response as he angrily forces Jet Set away and attempts to counter-attack, only for Jet to stop his advances with ease before spinning around, landing a clear buck to his chest. Once again forcing the prince back a couple of steps while holding his chest. "You said you wanted to build our friendship once more? Was that all just lie?"

Jet Set chuckled and shook his head. "Oh Blueblood, hearing you say that is just simply hilarious. Did you honestly think for even a moment, that you have any real friends?" Jet struck again, the prince managed to dodge the blow, but it cost him his balance due to the unfamiliar weight of the sword, leaving him open for a fast slash on his side. "There is absolutely nopony in all of Equestria who doesn't hate your guts."

Ignoring the phantoms of pain throbbing in his body, the prince does his best to remain on guard, lifting his sword with a shaky hoof. His resolve and energy starting to waiver under the hard gaze of everyone looking at him with anger and disgust. "It stings, doesn't it?" Jet asks while lazily regarding his own sheathed and bound blade while taking his eyes off the prince as if he wasn't a threat. "Knowing the truth?" his eyes snapped up and focused with frightening clarity on the prince. Lunging forward the noble slashed away viciously, nearly hitting the prince's throat before he was able to back away trying to gain some distance to breathe and come up with a plan of attack. But wherever Blueblood retreated to, Jet Set followed. Shifting his grip slightly the Noble changed tactics and launched a series of harrying thrusts, over and over and over, boxing the prince in until Blueblood was unable to effectively retreat and was forced to continuously parry, Jet Sets wide array of attacks from his current position of strength continued unabated. It was only a matter of time before one would land. "Knowing that despite your boost of confidence, your prideful attitude toward your lineage and your claims of being the best stallion that ever existed. You are nothing more than a coward and a hypocrite, it really hurts, right!?" His sword flickered through the prince's guard and found its mark. The prince could only let loose a strangled gasp of shock as the sword smashed into his sternum forcing the air from his lungs in an explosive huff. The prince collapsed to a knee struggling to breathe as Jet backs away, flourishing his weapon about to put on a show and continue to familiarize himself the marginal but noticeable added weight of the scabbard.

Fancy Pants stepped in between the two combatants and waited to see if the prince would rise to continue while the audience cheered for Jet as he gloated in front of them.

"Do you see it, Canterlot? Our prince nothing but a weak and pathetic colt who's only concern is for bits and power, a corrupt ruler who doesn't care about trampling over his own citizens."

That last comment hit home as the prince had a moment of clarity and started to picture Jet Set like his father. A fact that morphed his failing resolve and pain into growing and seething anger. He ignored the pain which suddenly did not matter as much now and stood once more nodding to Fancy Pants to indicate that he can still fight. Before pointing his sword at his opponents turned back, struck by a moment of inspiration and recalling his brief lessons in magic with Celestia.

_The art of magic has 3 principles: Stamina, Focus and Memory, if you master all three, there is no spell you cannot cast. Always keep those rules in mind, and I'm sure there will be nothing you can't do Blueblood._

Cocking his arm back he bellowed his opponent's name.

"…Jet Set!"

Taken off guard, the noble slowly turned to the prince in surprise only to hiss out in pain as a strike scored a deep gash on his chest. Uncomprehending, he looks from the prince to the rapidly healing wound on his torso and to the still sheathed blade in the prince's grasp several paces away. Looking back to the prince's eyes, he could see the prince looking at him with a glare, a glowing horn, and a smoking and blurred blade that just launched an air strike.

_Focus magic can achieve a solid form, yet the effort needed to maintain it for extended periods is exhausting. But if I just keep it solid for just a brief moment…_

Slowly low ringing began to fill the air rising in pitch as the glowing of the prince's horn intensified. "Don't you dare, turn your back on me! We weren't finished." The prince commanded as the ringing and glow reached an almost painful tone and brightness. Both of which fade slightly as the prince launches another air cutter, which the noble barely ducked out of the way of.

"Aren't you going to say anything!?" Jet Set growls out to Fancy Pants in anger. His question was obvious.

"The rules say to only use your sword, technically speaking he is still using it." Fancy pants responded with a dismissive shrug.

The prince then charged in, and this time when their swords collided, he poured magic into his weapon which then discharged into a wave of force that sent Jet Set flying back into the air. Recovering and following through, The prince launches another magical slash that found its mark on Jet Set's back, opening a near bloodless but devastatingly deep cut as he smashed into the ground, rolling painfully over the wound twice before coming to a halt.

"On your hoofs Jet Set! This is far from over!" The Prince commanded, his palpable rage cowing the violent audience to silence as they too were surprised by this dramatic shift of fortunes.

_What in Equestria is going on?! How come his spirit isn't broken yet?_ Jet Set asks his wife in disbelief through their link as he slowly gathers himself, hissing once again in pain at the searing pain on his back and gasping for a breath as he tries to stand up, Fancy keeping a close eye on him.

_You moron, all that gloating and boasting you were doing, it must have angered him so much that he overpowered and blocked out the spell._ Upper Crust reprimands him through the link. _If he remains this angry, he might turn the tables on you and win, you oaf!_

_Him? Turns the table on me? Oh honey, so far I was just playing around, and barely even fighting. He simply got the drop off me, but now. Now I will get serious_ Jet Set smirks, and after finally managing to stand up, both his and the prince's injuries healed entirely. He nods to Fancy Pants, who returns the gesture before stepping back allowing for the battle to continue.

"Ok your highness, no more mister nice guy." Jet taunts the prince as he charges his own horn. "Now we're going to fight for real."

Just like the prince did moments ago, Jet launched a series of magic slashes at Blueblood. while doing his best to avoid the furious return fire thrown out by the prince. Soon both stallions found themselves locked in a stalemate as the guards pour more energy into the shield spell around the arena to prevent any collateral damage as lances, waves, and blades of raw magic fly everywhere.

"A valiant effort, your highness." Jet Set manages to start monologuing as the fight continued. "Desperately trying to turn things to your favor, then again this isn't the first time you have been in this position, isn't it?"

Taking a small pause, both stallions stop their attacks while at the same time as Jet Set regards the prince with a smirk, he knew that he had more energy than the prince did at the current moment, as the signs of fatigue were starting to show on the prince. "What would this be the seventh? Perhaps eight-time you have tried this stunt to gain the approval of Canterlot?"

"What?" The prince look at him confused, making the noble laugh as he starts to circle around him.

"Oh, of course, feign ignorance. That's worked so well for you in the past. You do whatever you want, without any regard for the citizens of Canterlot. You Take all the credit for the achievements of others, without any speck of shame. And when some pony exposes you for the joke you are, you simply go and make a grand gesture of kindness to obtain forgiveness. Just like this party. the dream of us being equal is nothing but a ruse, so that we forget that it's because of you that all of Canterlot is in an economic crisis."

"Hey that's right, Blueblood is the reason a lot of ponies are now unemployed." A female voice call from the audience, as Jet continued.

"It was you trying to do 'the right thing' and acting outside the law to arrest a pony that, even though he was corrupt was still keeping crime to a minimum."

"Yeah!" More voices agree.

"What? He kidnaped a hero of Equestria and was doing more harm than good!" Blueblood tried to defend himself.

"Sure, that's what you would say. Try to spin so that it doesn't sound bad. But going so far as send your guards to beat them up and then making up a story about you actually fighting and winning against him? Do you take us all for fools!" Jet Set bellowed at him in anger, more and more ponies agreeing with him.

"We all know you, Blueblood. You are nothing but a coward, a cheat and a weakling." His horn starts to charge once more. "But if you really want us to buy it again. Maybe you should have learned how to fight!" To the prince's surprise Jet Set set his own scabbard on fire. The arcane fire glowing eerily in the night. "Or better yet, show us! Show us exactly how you beat Fort Knox! Let us see how long you last without your precious guards to defend you!"

Striding forwards into striking distance once more, the two stallions lock swords once again, but with the added weight and the increasing temperature, the prince soon knelt as Jet keep adding pressure forcing the flaming blade ever closer. "Not so mighty now, eh?"

Jet jumps back leaving the prince room to fire another burst of magic but after he swinging his sword, Jet Set rushed in and trapped the princes sword arm, moving it out of the way so he can strike the princes now unguarded chest, press the blade down as the arcane fire seared into the princes flesh. The prince cried out in agony only to hear a few words whispered in his ear.

"Feel the heat prince" Spinning in place, Jet Set bucked Blueblood away. Landing hard the prince held his chest in pain while curling into a ball.

"Fancy, I beg you, please stop this!" Fluttershy pleaded with him once more, tears in her eyes. Unable to continue watching brutal display. He simply shook his head. "Jet Set is still only using his sword. The duel will continue." He informs Fluttershy even though it was starting to get hard to watch.

"You heard him milady." Jet Set tells Fluttershy with a slightly condescending smirk. "The fight is still far from over." He then looks to the coughing and bleeding prince that was trying his best to stand up, only to be met with wave after wave of fire strikes from Jet Set.

"And where is your bravado now, Blueblood? Your stance is horrible" He struck at the prince's legs, causing him to stumble "Your Guard is a joke" He jabbed the prince once more in the chest, this time dangerously close to Blueblood throat. "Your parries are ill-timed and slow like a snail" He feinted the prince with an attack to provoke a reaction only to hit him with a backslash.

"At least give me a challenge" He shrugged with a chuckle before looking at the audience again "What do you say Canterlot? Is he pathetic or what? Do you really think someone like him could possibly stand a chance against Fort Knox?"

"No!" Was the overwhelming response he received as Jet continued to gloat and the prince try to recover from the barrage of attacks.

_Come on…there must be something anything I can do! What else do I know? I…The teleportation spell? But I still haven't mastered it, I can't fight with half a spell._

It was at that moment that the prince got an idea.

_Or can I?_

"There are still more crimes you need to answer for!" Jet finally turns to look at him once the prince recovers.

" For the misery, he inflicts on millions!" The unicorn launched another wave of magic slashes that the prince who barely manage to defend using a small shield that took the bulk of the attack but did reach his hoofs.

"For the crimes that have gone unpunished" He ignited the sword again closed to melee range once more press the blade against the princes letting the heat lick his stamina away.

"And for the tears he makes our princesses…" He recovered his blade to attack again the strike was about to make contact but continued on fading through the prince's chest and out the other side with no effect. Blueblood, exhausted and bloody as he was, somehow found the strength to smirk at him while taking the time to look down at the sheathed blade that was passing through his chest. the two stallions stood and stared at this new development for a moment "…what?"

"Confused?" Sidestepping the prince managed to deliver a magic slash to Jet Set's side point blank, sending Jet Set flying and screaming in pain. The prince sank down to kneel from exhaustion while regarding Jet Set with that same goofy smirk, which was growing into a smile "I still…have more to offer, Jet Set."

"You little…, don't get cocky with me!" Jet unleashed a fury of air slash, but the prince passed through all of them like a ghost as he rushed in to capitalize on this change of fortune, Jet tried to block the incoming strike but the sword passed by his defense like mist. For a second Jet Set felt fear as the sword continued on its path towards his heart before flinching as the prince spin around and bucked him on the chest hitting him against the magical barrier.

Jet recovered and tried to counter, but none of his attacks seemed to be landing correctly. Little by little, the prince was gaining ground again.

Breathing heavenly both stallions paused to recover their energy, Neither of the two duelists dropped their glares.

_You are losing_ Upper Crust growled at her husband over their link.

_No I'm not!_ He argued back.

_Then explain what is happening? How is he getting the upper hoof on you?!_

_If you let me think I might be able to think of something! What he is doing it looks familiar, almost like…_

"You really don't understand anything about magic don't you Blueblood?" Jet asks with some anger. "I finally get what you are trying to do, its the same principle behind the teleportation spell, surround yourself with magic, turn intangible and direct yourself to a destination" He list "But you are just doing half the process."

"Half is all I need" The prince answers with a smile

"Plus do you know how hard is to learn that spell?"

Jet looks at Fancy Pants who merely shakes his head in the negative "He is using it to dodge, I allow it" He informs, making Jet to grumble, who then looks at the prince before smirking when noticing that he didn't seem to have much energy left on him.

"Tell me prince, how much power do you have left?" He casually calls out while lifting his sword and igniting it once more "Because I can keep this up for a long time."

The prince ignored Jet Sets barbs and kept attacking. Yet his movements start getting slower and more and more predictable as Jet Set goes back to toying with him.

"Just admit it Blueblood this is over!" Catching him off guard Jet manage to strike prince in the chest. Dropping him to the ground hard.

Coughing some more blood the prince tried to stand up, but Jet Set struck again, sending him flying until he slammed into the wall of force surrounding the arena. Blueblood's breath left his lungs once again as he slid to the ground limply, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"NO!" Fluttershy screamed in horror at the callous display. Some guards even refusing to look on as the prince struggled to stand once more, desperately searching within for some last gasp of strength and will to bring to bear, even while feeling pathetic, tired, battered and with the mocking laughter of the crowd echoing in his ears, Jet was the loudest among them. The prince had only barely managed to struggle to his knees as he heard the end of the fight approach. Blueblood looked up as Jet Set closed, determined to finish the fight with the small victory of not breaking.

Jet Set smiled in satisfaction as he regarded the prince flounder for a moment before advancing with deliberate steps, flourishing his blade once more. Fully intending to give the crowd a show as he finished the fight, he had only made it three steps though when Fancy Pants stepped in between the two combatants, leveling a distainful glare directed at Jet Set.

Stopping in his tracks the noble mein was marred with a confused and enraged snarl for only a second before it settled into the smirk that he had been wearing throughout the fight. "Seems we are done here, don't you think Fancy? Just end this charade already, this is just boring now" Jet complained loudly as he stepped back, while resting his weapon on his shoulder.

Fancy could only sigh and look back at the prince in pity as he fought his hardest just to stand up. So it was with a heavy heart he raised his hoof. "The winner is…"

"N…no!" The prince managed to utter catching both him and Jet Set by surprise. Using his sword for support, he finally managed to stagger drunkenly to his hooves and glare at Jet Set."It's…not... over yet."

"Oh? Isn't it?" Jet Set asks with a chuckle as he slowly approached the prince neatly sidestepping Fancy Pants as he went until he and the prince were face to face. "Then, by all means, prince, do continue. In fact as an act of kindness. I will let you have the next attack."

Jet Set spread his hooves wide in a mockingly inviting manner, in preparation for the prince while Blueblood continued to glare at his opponent. All while still hearing the laughter in his head and all around him.

_I can't lose…I can't…if I do…if I lost…my family…my home…I can't lose everything again._

Tears began to fill his eyes as with a grunt of pain and a shaky hoof, he managed to lift his sword. His opponent remained still, unimpressed and nonplussed.

"Go ahead, I'm waiting…" He taunts the prince once more.

Mustering all the energy left in him, Blueblood brings down his sword down on to Jet Set's chest… and the sheathed blade glances off to the side as the prince collapses to the ground.

_Aunties…cousin…Canterlot…I'm so sorry!_

The prince's thoughts danced around with the jeers of the crowd in his mind as the ground rose to meet his face.

Cheers are heard once he hit the floor.

Immediately after the shield spell was lifted, Fluttershy rushed to the prince's side and lift his head in worry.

"Blueblood! Are you ok?" She timidly asks. The prince just trembled and cried, refusing to open his eyes as he continued to chant 'I'm sorry' over and over.

Fluttershy turned a rage-filled gaze to Jet Set as he just laughed and pointed at the display "That look fits you, Prince, finally put in your place!"

"You are laughing at his pain?" Fluttershy asked him in astonishment, "What is wrong with you…you…you big meany!" She calls him, but Jet Set simply ignored her and instead turned to Fancy Pants.

"Go ahead Fancy Pants. End this."

With closed eyes and a pained breath, the noble simply raised a hoof into the air before pointing to the standing duelist. "The winner…is Jet Set. The Prince Blueblood, is no more" He announced making the crowd cheer in glee for a second time.


	38. Aftershock

**Aftershock **

At that same time that the duel was occurring, chaos was raining down in Canterlot, as Amber kept spreading anger everywhere all the while, chasing the mare that was keeping her rage burning bright.

"For pony's sake Amber, I know we might have our differences, but I'm still a civilian that hasn't broken any laws!" Scarlet tried to defend herself as she dodged yet another attack from Amber, her rage had made her unstoppable yet, sloppy and uncoordinated in her attacks. Which was the only reason Scarlet yet breathed. Her dress was ripped to pieces, the makeup she was wearing smeared on her face, and her mask destroyed long ago as a result of the fight.

"It all your fault, you're trying to kill the prince" Amber responded as she charges her horn again.

"Kill him?!" Scarlet turns to her in indignation "I wouldn't hurt a single hair of that golden mane!" She defended herself.

"Lies!" Amber yelled as she unleashed a series of consecutive magic blasts that would have hit Scarlet if Pinkie hadn't tackled her out of the way.

"Pinkie?" Scarlet look at her savior with a confused expression. "Please tell me you are not here to rip me in half too."

"Nope, I'm here to save…duck!" Pinkie pushes Amber head down, just before a spear would have impaled it.

"What are you doing Pinkie! She is our enemy!" Amber bellows at her.

"Nope, she is just weird" Pinkie pulled her party cannon and startled Amber with a confetti shot, to make her escape with Scarlet as they enter a random room, and lock the doors behind them.

"Ok, we should be fine for a bit now."

"Good, in that case, care to explain what is going on?" Scarlet asked her in exasperation while trying to recover her breath, before remembering something and glaring at the pink mare, "And what did you mean by me being weird?"

"It ok, weird is good. It means you are funny" Pinkie tells her with a chuckle. "Anyway long story short, a meany pants pony tried to kill Blueblood, the guards cornered him but then he spat fire and run away and turns out, his fire makes any pony that touches it, extra extra grumpy" Pinkie explained at a fast pace, which only served to confuse Amber even more.

"What?"

At that moment Amber starts to buck on the door, trying to smash it down. Pinkie and Scarlet held the door as much as possible. "Amber is not thinking clearly and it's just lashing out at everyone that she sees, oh and you should avoid the fire she is launching. If you touch it, you will get angry too." Pinkie resumes explaining.

"Ok that explains her behavior, but why is she chasing me?"

Pinkie looks at Scarlet with a neutral expression "Oh right."

The doors finally give in, and Amber pin both mares against the ground. Acting like a mad dog keeps her gaze on Amber with fury on her eyes. "Amber no, you are not thinking clearly! Just count to ten" Pinkie try to reason with her.

"Enough! I will rid Equestria of this plague once and for all!" She shrieks at Pinkie before charging his horn even more. "Die" Once fully charged, Amber pointed her horn at Scarlet and was about to shoot when a magic blast hit her chest and pinned her against the wall before restraining her in a blue shield spell.

"Oh dear! Are you two ok?" A concerned Cadence appeared from behind them and removes the doors before helping both mares stand up.

As they recovered, the mares saw as both Princess Celestia and Cadence as well as Shining Armor standing in the middle of the room after teleporting inside, Shining Armor, in particular, was focusing his magic on containing Amber as she keeps thrashing around.

"Well talk about dramatic entrances" Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief before looking to Celestia "You have no idea how happy I'm too seeing you, princess."

To her confusion, the princess just keep looking at her with a neutral expression before turning her gaze to Shining Armor, something that grabs Cadence attention "What the status, Shining Armor?"

"It just as we feared, princess," He sighs and looks back at her. "She is infected by the anger spectrum. Even if we used our teleportation to reach its source I'm afraid we are too late, it spreading already and at a breakneck rate. The assassin definitely is familiar with crystal ponies magic…as well as the forbidden emotion." He informed the group in sadness.

"Well duh, he is a crystal pony after all" Pinkie voice her opinion before getting confused "Wait, crystal ponies can use magic like that?" She wondered out loud to the group as Cadence checked both mares for any sign of burn marks before smiling when she didn't find any.

"It's a long story, for now, we need to contain the infected ponies before they spread the rage even more and…" In that second the mental link with the princess is reconnected, and she heard the voices of the changelings all at once, screaming at her,

_Princess!… Where are you?! Things are bad…they are really bad! You need to come here…quickly!_

_"What?"_ The princess asks trying to understand what they were saying

_Prince Blueblood…he is in trouble!… Come to the gardens…now!_

"Blueblood?" She asks out loud as her eyes widen, Cadence, and Scarlet too growing concerned.

Shaking her head she looks back at the rest "Shining, Cadence, contain this as fast as possible and then, meet me in the gardens, my nephew needs me!" She charges her horn before either can voice their opinion.

"Oh no you don't, I'm coming too!" Scarlet proclaims and grabs Celestia hoof. The Princess tries to shake her off, but it was already too late as both mares are teleported to the royal garden where they cry out in shock at the spectacle holding the attention of the audience.

"What is the meaning of all this?!" To everyone's surprise, even Celestia's, it was Scarlet who yells at everyone in anger once she is able to grasp what she sees. The prince lying on the ground breathing heavenly and holding a golden sword while Fluttershy cradles his body. Not far from the two was none other than Jet Set. Holding another sword and looking at the princess in surprise.

The commotion managed to rouse the prince a little bit as he with no small amount of effort, managed to shift his gaze to see his aunt and Scarlet fast approaching the two.

"Ah, Princess Celestia so good for you to join us…unless, of course, you aren't the real…" Jet started to speak. Yet the princess wouldn't have any of that.

**"SILENCE!"** Using her own Canterlot voice, she proved to be the real princess Celestia as she looks at the gathering guards with some degree of anger, and confusion into why didn't they protect her nephew.

"I believe that Ms. Lips asked you a question, and I would have it answered as well. I want you to explain to me what exactly is going on here. You will explain why my nephew was beaten up, on the ground…and you will explain why the royal guards did not intervene" She ordered while maintaining a glare that burned with all the intensity of a solar flare. Rooting everyone in place, making all the guards gulp in fear

"Well, dear princess if you let me explain…" Upper Crust begins with a smile, but Fancy Pants interrupts her, not trusting her or her husband one bit after this display that they had put on. "I would prefer it if I explained things." He flatly states, dismissing her with a glare to which Upper Crust rolled her eyes and gestures for him to continue.

Fancy then looked back at the princess who was looking at him expectantly "There is no reason for you to punish your guard's princess, what happened here was a duel that had the consent of both parties involved" He began to explain.

"What?!" Both Scarlet and the princess exclaim in surprise. Catching the attention of the monarch and the prince who look at her in confusion, as Scarlet stalked angrily up to Jet Set.

"What did you do?"

"I imparted justice" He answers before walking past her and toward the Princess with his wife without letting her speak. "Princess Celestia, although we understand why you haven't taken actions about your nephew's behavior. We, the citizens of Canterlot, just could not wait any longer." Upper Crust tells her with sadness.

"Oh? And just what were you waiting for?" Celestia asks calmy, yet her voice was cold and neutral.

Jet Set retrieves a copy of the list of crimes of Blueblood and passes it to her. On the surface, the princess remained calm and composed, but beneath her facade, the feelings of worry and fright began to fester. She was afraid she knew what was developing as well as furious for what these two just did to her nephew.

"The law is more than clear princess Celestia, Blueblood broke the law, and as such, I, as a graduate of your school, and a noble stallion of high status, have the right to issue retribution. Which I did."

The princess sighed and put the paper down before looking at both nobles before her "While I agree that it is within your right to issue a challenge for this. I was not aware of nor approved of this course of action." She informs them with a glare. "As such, this was an unsanctioned duel, and I will NOT acknowledge it nor will I validate its outcome."

"You can't do this to us, princess!" A voice in the distance tells her.

"What?" The princess questioned, genuinely confused by that response as she looks around, all around the voices keep complaining.

"Jet Set was right, you simply keep hiding the prince behind your tail."

"The prince is not above the law."

"Blueblood is not fit to be called prince."

"That brat has made our lives miserable, he got what he deserved, it not fair that you want to pardon him now."

"Order!" The princess commanded yet everyone seemed to be on even more on edge and kept arguing with her.

"So much anger, so much tension" Upper Crust coyly voiced her opinion with a theatrical sigh as she looks at the princess "Please princess, is he really worth the trouble? I understand that is your relative, but how can your kingdom trust its rulers when they put their own family above the people and the law?" Upper Crust simperingly tells the princess.

Anyone else listening in on the conversation would think she was just being reasonable and understanding, but Celestia could read her like a book and what she saw made her blood boil she could see the tiny twitch of a smirk on the mares face in front of her. They both knew that Celestia was currently corned.

The prince eyes slowly widened as he continued to watch on as everything unraveled around him and slowly putting the pieces together, finally understood what Jet Set's and Upper Crust's end goal was.

Not only did they want to strip him of his title, but they also were trying to completely destroy his relationship with the kingdom and his image as a prince. Even worse they were using him as a pawn in a game against his aunts looking to force them into a position where, if they defend or help him. The faith and trust that the citizens have in the crown would forever be lost.

_Oh dear god, I'm an idiot! Those two set me up, and I took the bait, hook, and sinker. Now, if my aunts defend me and revoke the outcome of the duel. Canterlot will spit apart, maybe it could even result in a civil war, and if that happens…the Windigoes!_

Blueblood looked back the couple, Jet Set caught his eye and put on that insufferable grin he had been wearing the entire night. He already knew what the prince was thinking and just wanted to twist the knife slightly more.

_Damn it! DAMN IT! He knew it! He knew it, and he knows that I need to take the fall because if I don't…it will cause irreparable damage to Canterlot, maybe even to all of Equestria!_ The prince rants in rage internally as he comes to the realization that there is only one thing he can do.

_Curse you Jet Set. And damn you to hell! I don't know how or when but I swear I will make you pay for this!_ Feeling the princes discomfort and looking at his pained face, Fluttershy tightened her hug, bringing him crashing back to reality and tried to calm him down with a small yet hopeful smile, though the guilt and the effects of the sword still in place made him believe that Fluttershy was glaring at him in disappointment.

She gets confused when the prince just looks down in shame and nod before standing up and lightly pushing her away "I understand, don't worry I will fix this" He mumbles to her, which just further confused the pegasus as he takes some steps forward.

"Blueblood what are you…"

"Everypony just, please…SHUT UP!" The prince roars out at the top of his lungs, hoping to stun the audience into silence and capture their attention away from the game being played between the nobles and the Princess. It has the desired effect, and everyone turned their attention to him. After taking some deep breaths the prince address the audience in anger. "I might be a lot of things, but a coward will not be one of them anymore, I'm guilty, and as such I will face my punishment head on!"

The prince takes everyone by surprise when he grabs his mane and uses his sword to cut it out in one swing before raising it into the air for everyone to see while tossing the sword into the ground. The princess even gasping in shock as she understood what the action meant.

"Take this as proof of my resolve Canterlot. From this moment on, I Blueblood, formally abdicate from my title as prince and will become…a Ronin" He tells them in shame and his head low.

"Ronin?" Scarlet asks confused by the name.

"It means a pony without a home or purpose, he…he is exiling himself" Princess Celestia explains as she shakes her head in sadness and anger at this outcome, as her mask starts to break, and lets some of her emotions out. "And that is something I will not accept" She goes to him and grab the prince using both of her wings "I have already suffered the pain of banishing a loved one, I will not do it again!" She tells everyone present.

"Auntie…please you have too let me go, it's the only way. Canterlot has spoken." The prince argues back and tries to pull away from her grasp, but the princess refuses to let him go as she strengthens the hug, not only that but he soon finds another set of hoof hugging him from behind. "Then Canterlot is wrong, Blueblood. This isn't fair, you are a good pony, there must be another way!"

"I wish there were Ms. Shy" Upper Crust chimes in "But unfortunately there is not, the duel was fair and legal, so now the ex-prince needs to get out, those are the rules."

Everyone cheers in agreement and Celestia angered to the point where she was considering immolating the mare where she stood maintained her hug and narrowed her eyes, considering. She had almost made a decision when Scarlet unexpectedly came to their rescue.

"Legal? Legal you say, dear? Yes, I'm afraid I will have to call you on that one." She speaks earning the confusion of everyone present. "Legal or not, you put the PRINCE of Equestria," Emphasizing the title while glaring at Jet Set "Into an unfair position and without the princesses consent or presence during the duel. Legal though it may be, and that is one for the courts to decide, it was quite shady and horribly unfair at best and downright dishonorable and villainous at worst." Her words finding home with the audience as they once again start to mumble at the weight what she was saying, yet she wasn't done.

"Just look at ourself Canterlot, if we accept this duel, then we will be no better than the prince in his old days! Just brats throwing a tantrum, and abusing our rights without any consideration!"

The audience began to feel ashamed and looked down. Smiling nervously Upper Crust approach Scarlet slightly scared. "Scarlet…what are you doing?!" She harshly whispers into her ear, yet the mare in question just glares at her. "I will deal with you two crowbars later!" She whispers back "For now, let me fix the mess you two idiots made!"

She then takes a step toward the royals, the princess still unsure of her actions, covers her nephew in a protective matter. "I'm not suggesting, a revoke of this duel, what happened is already in the past. But I'm saying the prince deserves a second chance, just like we have given to our princess Luna, to Discord, even to the changeling race! Aren't we or are we not the citizens of Equestria who's pride and joy lays in our values of friendship and harmony!"

"Yeah" The audience cheers in agreement.

"Aren't we above pity grudges and lingering anger?"

"Yeah"

"And does anyone here really have the heart to break a family who has nothing but the purest of love for one another?"

"No"

The royal family and Fluttershy slowly end their hug as they all see Scarlet speaking, confused yet happy for what she was doing.

"Then its decided, the prince will get the right for a rematch to get his title back and with it, the pardon from all of his past crimes."

"Yes!" Everyone cheered in agreement and Celestia couldn't be happier as she silently nods her thanks Scarlet for her intervention, yet in the back of her head she still didn't trust her completely and was growing more and more confused in why was she helping them.

"Wait" Upper Crust try to speak again "Are we really going to simply pardon everything the prince has done? Just like that. Think ponies, because of him, we all are going to go to harsh times. Our economy suffered a harsh blow, maybe we will never recover!" She yells back, "I say that if we really are going to give him a second chance, the least he could do, is clean up all of his own mess first, what say you Canterlot? I think its time the prince got a taste of humility and owned up for all of his mistakes, then and only then will we agree to a rematch."

"That list is extremely long, and some of the problems can't be fixed overnight, it will take him years to complete it" Celestia voiced her concern to which the noble, shrugged "All of them were his doing princess, and because how hard they are. I say that they are fair." She then points a hoof at Celestia. "And he can't have any royal or noble assistance during them, he made all these problems, its only fair for him to solve them alone."

She tells them before looking at Fluttershy "That includes no elements of harmony, no living arrangements on the castle" She then look at Scarlet too with a smirk "And no living with any noble."

She remains neutral, but the princess could detect some fury coming from the mare from that remark.

"You are telling me to throw my nephew out in the street, in the middle of the night without anything on him, and ask him for the impossible?" The princess asks as her anger rise again. "I will never agree to…"

"No" The prince interrupt her "It more than fair,"

"What?! No, Blueblood please don't" Celestia tried to stop him but, he simply raises his hoof to silence her response, before looking at her with a smile, it was forced and painful, but he at least wanted to ease some of her pain. Even if it was only a little, "Don't worry au…princess" Blueblood called her by the title, breaking her heart from hearing him using the honorifics "I will be fine" He then look at Upper Crust, and Jet set with determination "I agree to your terms, until I repay my debt, I will not issue a rematch for my tittle back."

"Then its decided, and until you do, you will be known as The Blue Ronin." Jet Set claims in victory "Now get out of my castle!"

Celestia eyes wide before snapping to the couple with a glare that could melt icebergs, making them flinch and take a step back as the air around them heated up almost imperceptibly. "YOUR... Castle?" Before she could vent her wrath upon the two, the prince surprised her with one unexpected hug that managed to calm her down somehow. "Just one last act before my departure, princess, maybe it was short but…thanks for everything."

"Blueblood" The princess' heart cracked once more at the emotion as she tries to hug him back "Thank you…and goodbye."

Before she could complete the gesture, the prince was gone, leaving no trace behind, surprising everyone in the garden. "Ah…what just happened?" Fluttershy asks still dumbfounded by that. Celestia holds her tears and keeps her head low.

**"I WANT EVERYPONY WHO DOES NOT WORK OR LIVE HERE TO LEAVE THE ROYAL GROUNDS THIS VERY INSTANT! LEAVE NOW!" **Using her Canterlot voice, everyone fled as fast as their wings, hoofs or horns could carry them.

It was only when the princess was alone that she let her mask go. It was when there was nothing but the light of the moon in the room where she collapsed and yells at the top of her lungs in rage and sadness as she lays in the ground and openly cries. She could feel the hoof of Fluttershy petting her mane in sorrow, she never left, the princess knew it, but she couldn't care less. History had just repeated itself, and once more she lost a family member.


	39. Expose Betrayal, Hidden Support

**Expose Betrayal, Hidden Support**

Silence reigned over the castle as the commotion and hustle of the crowd slowly but surely died down with everyone gone. The guards managed to do a quick job of gathering and restraining any remaining ponies that were corrupted by anger unleashed earlier so that Princess Cadence and Shining Armor could neutralize the threat it posed.

Princess Celestia remained quiet throughout the whole ordeal and just watched as her citizens left the palace, slightly dazed and confused with all that had happened. One part of her was happy everyone was safe, though, in the back of her head, a smoldering, silky voice whispered, tempting the monarch to give in to her rage and seek vengeance. She didn't even know where to aim it. The noble couple that forced her to exile a family member? Or at her own citizens that laughed and jeered while it happened? All throughout this, Fluttershy remained. Always by her side, noticing the princesses distress and refusing to leave, her kindness showing strong.

"Auntie?" Cadence's voice managed to break her from her blackening thoughts and, with a shake of her head, the solar princess looked to her niece with a small smile. "Yes, Cadence?"

"I said that that was the last one." She points at the pony Shining Armor was finishing curing. The last pony was covered in a blue aura that Shining was emitting not from his horn, but from his body. Manipulating it and spreading it on the victim, killing the fire in the process and calming the enraged noble.

"I see…that is great news. I thank you both." The princess thanked both ponies as the noble was escorted out of the castle. This time Shining also noted how the princess sounded distant and slightly cold, the same with Cadence as she eyed her aunt with a hint of worry.

"Aunty I know how you must be feeling. I'm also worried for Bluey but…"

"Oh do you?" Celestia, all of a sudden, transfixed Cadence with an angry glare. "Do tell me, dearest niece, when was it last, that you were forced to banish a loved one? When? When were you forced to spend a thousand years on the brink of insanity from the isolation of being the last of your kind?" Celestia slowly stalked up to her niece all the while maintaining her glare. "When, did you see all of your family erased from existence by the passage of time?!"

"Princess stop!" Fluttershy called out and tried to intervene by getting in between the two, fearing for Cadence, yet Celestia simply used a levitation spell that lifts her in the air and out of the way with no effort. Barely even altering her stride.

"Auntie, please calm down!" Cadence calls in fear as she slowly backs away, yet Celestia didn't seem to be listening. Both royals gasp in surprise when they notice a burn mark spreading across her chest as her eyes begin to turn white from her anger. "Auntie you are infected! You need help!"

"Don't tell me what I need to do! I'm sick and tired of everypony thinking they can bend, twist and manipulate MY laws as to suit their whims! Perhaps this is why King Sombra took a different approach...You know what? Maybe he had a point if it means that I can keep my family intact. Maybe I should rule Equestria with an iron…"

The mane of Celestia was starting to ignite, and her teeth were in the process of turning to fangs before a spell hit the back of her head, turning her back to normal as she fell asleep on the ground, and Fluttershy promptly dropped with a thud.

Looking up, everyone found Luna on the entrance with Pinkie by her side and a smoking horn. "Seems like I arrived just in time," She told the group, as Pinkie and Fluttershy rushed to assist Princess Celestia who continued to sleep.

"What happened?" Pinkie queried, confused and worried.

"It seems Aunt Celestia was infected by the same pony that caused all of this mess in the first place." Cadence explained. "Her centuries of controlling her emotions was probably why it took so long for the magic to take effect. Honestly, with everything that happened, I'm rather surprised she managed to remain this calm for this long. Shining? Do you think you could…?"

"Already on it, dear" Shining answered and got to work in purging the rage out of the princess's system as Cadence approached her other aunt. "Aunt Luna, Blueblood, he…"

Before she can continue, Luna raised her hoof for silence. "I'm aware, fair Cadence, Pinkie filled me in regarding the incidents, and I assure you, measures are being put in place as we speak. More so with a killer still on the loose" Luna explained.

"He escaped?" Pinkie stared at the princess in shock as she simply nodded.

"It appears my tracking skills have dulled more than I anticipated, but do not fret. My best tracker picked up the trail and they are still in hot pursuit. We _will_ catch him. While he remains at large, another platoon will bring my nephew back, and I will grant him sanctuary within the royal palace. Equestria have mercy upon anyone that tries to stop me. For, I will not." Luna threatened quietly before turning her attention to Fluttershy. "But for now, I would like to know exactly what the events leading up to my nephew's banishment were, and how they happened." Her eyes flashed white as a glare started to form on her face. "I need to be as well informed as I possibly can be, so I might know just how long I will be tormenting the dreams of those that hurt my family."

"I would like to hear that story too," Cadence tells, remaining neutral yet she too was feeling deep anger caused by the whole ordeal.

Fluttershy nodded, and for the first time in probably all of her life, she didn't get worried or scared for the well being of another as she met Luna's gaze with a fierce determination twinkling in her own eyes. "I will tell you, everything princess."

At the moment in the streets of Canterlot

After practically being kicked out of the castle, both Jet Set and Upper Crust retired for the night to their mansion, grumbling about their bittersweet victory.

"Damn it! We were so close, we had all of Canterlots support behind us. If only Scarlet hadn't opened her mouth!" Jet Set complained before his wife interrupted him.

"Let us not think about what already happened dear, besides I think her interference is a blessing in disguise," Upper argued back, "Perhaps we were starting to bite off more than we could chew anyway." She reasoned with him as they continued walking towards their home. "Besides, this minor set back doesn't change a single thing."

"Really?" The voice of Scarlet Lips catches their attention as they see the mare in question waiting for the two at the front gate to their house glaring at them. "Because from what I see, what you did was anything BUT what we had planned on the first place!" She snarled at the two in anger.

"Ah Scarlet, I was wondering where you went." Upper Crust addressed her friend before casting a small glare at her in return. "I have to say, it is brave for you to confront the friends you just betrayed."

"Don't you dare try spin this around Upper Crust!" She points at her with an accusing hoof. "You went off script, and you know it! The plan was for you to convince the prince into living among the people TEMPORARILY as he pays his crimes at his own pace, not accuse him of it!"

"Why play as a pawn when you can be a king. Besides the original plan was garbage!" Jet Set cries out in anger at her making Scarlet gasp before looking at him in a fury. "How dare you!"

"NO! How dare YOU! Ruining our plan Scarlet!" Jet continued approaching the mare. "That Buffon has no place being a prince, I'm a better stallion than him, I'm a better magician than him, I can gain the love of all Canterlot faster than he can, I'm more than he would ever be! I should be the prince. not him, I!" He yells at her. "And I could have gotten it all in one swift move by the end of the night if you hadn't interfered!"

Scarlet just look at him with a neutral expression. "Are you done?" She inquires with a bored tone and a raised eyebrow.

Jet only huffed in response. "Don't you see? You could have had anything! Your book could have had the perfect twist! The corrupt prince dethroned and the handsome, better fit and rightful noble becoming the new ruler." He picks up her hoof. "The three of us could have gotten our perfect ending. You could even have your wish of being with a prince, a much better prince that what you originally…"

Scarlet at that moment slaps him. "Don't you DARE rewrite my story, Jet Set! And don't go around spitting nonsense about happy endings, like you know any better. Unlike your pathetic and weak ideas of a "better story." Mine are works of art that respects its target audience and is worth the bits!"

She then turned to regard Upper Crust. "And unlike yours, my plan would have worked."

"My my, aren't we confident?" Upper Crust chuckled dangerously as she approached. "What makes you so sure that our plan will fail dear? The enchanted sword? Any pony will think either you or the crown planted the evidence. The Changelings? We have been spreading rumors about them housing Chrysalis for weeks now. By the time they get the press off their backs, anything they try will be pointless. The Princesses? You would be surprised how many rulers of other countries would love to have a chat with our rulers when they are in distress, and offer their support as they stumble into each other and fill their desks with impossible to refuse meetings. By Tartarus, even if by some miracle the princesses managed to arrest us, we will become martyrs and will be released the same day to avoid escalating the conflict!" She smirked at Scarlet.

"We played our cards in such a matter that the princesses can't touch us, not without betraying the trust of their kingdom at least. Face it, Scarlet, we planned for everything, the pride and honor of all of Equestria are supporting us, dear. We are officially above the law."

"No pony is above the law Upper Crust," Scarlet remarks back before moving to the side and starts to walk away. "And you are not going to get away with this. I'm gonna make sure of that!"

"Oh really? And what are you going to do? Help the princesses?" Upper Crust laughs "Go ahead and try. Let us see how our monarchs react to the mare responsible for all this in the first place when she approached them and asked if she could help. I'd love to see how well that plays out."

Jet Set at that moment gets in front of Scarlet with a worried expression. "Don't do it Scarlet, at best they will put you on a dungeon and at worst no pony will ever find your body" She pleads her "Please, stay with us instead, just think about it. The three of us in a herd. We could be uns…"

"Save it!" Scarlet stopped him by raising her hoof. "That! That right there is the reason that I didn't even take a second a glance at you Jet Set. Perhaps you have a nice face, but you don't know a single THING about what real love is all about, and you hurt my future coltfriend!" She tells him with a hurt expression before hardening, now with eyes that could melt holes in solid steel. Jet Set gulped as the irate mare leaned forward.

"You underestimated what my stallion is really capable of doing. Mark my words, Jet Set. He will return. He will get payback for what you did. And trust me, as soon as he is done scraping you off of his hoof…I will be next in line." She whispered in his ear the last part before marching off.

"F-Fine! Go ahead, leave! See if I care! Enjoy being a garden ornament…or a spending a lifetime in a cell with no windows! Or whatever the princesses will do to you. Just know, you could have had the chance to be with a REAL prince, and you blew it!" Jet Set yells at her, though Scarlet pointedly ignored him as she trotted away.

Once she is gone. The stallion looked back at his wife. "There is nothing to fear, right dear? There is no way that idiot will come back, right?"

"Oh please honey, don't be paranoid. You did a magnificent job breaking the spirit of that brat into a million pieces. Even if someone offers him any kindness, Blueblood will refuse it out of pride and shame before running away. He is probably leaving Canterlot and hiding somewhere as we speak; no one will ever see his face ever again" Upper Crust assures him with all the confidence she could muster.

Meanwhile 

Without any direction or place in mind, the former prince kept wandering aimlessly until he found himself in the heart of a dense and dark forest. He didn't know how long he had been walking, nor did he care, as he kept trudging along with his head held low. Reliving the events that brought him into his current situation, getting angrier as the image of Jet Set with that smug smile kept appearing, over and over and over again.

_What have I done? I somehow managed to obtain what others could only dream about and had a second chance. A family that loved me, a comfortable life, friendship…even an opportunity to achieve my dream of being a hero. And now, I've lost it again. Once again I'm nothing but a wanderer. AND it is all his fault!_

As he shakes his head in anger, the ex-prince trips over his own hoof and fall face first into a pile of mud. Shaking in rage, he slowly lifts his head and found a frog croaking in front of him without a care in the world. The ex-prince sighed and looked at the frog with a neutral expression. "Sure, why not? What else could go wrong?"

As if to answer his question a thunderstorm erupts, drenching him in seconds as rain fell like there was no tomorrow. He remained calm for a bit and took a deep breath before roaring out at the sky in time for a clap of thunder to be heard. Stripping off his clothes, the ex-prince started to punch the puddle of mudd repeatedly, imagining it to be the face of Jet Set.

The ex-prince stops with a startled whinny once he heard a chuckle not too far from him. Looking to his left, he saw an ancient, apparently blind earth pony mare sitting on a log next to a bonfire. Her fur was white, and her mane and tail were complete gray from age. She was using a sheet secured between two trees to protect her from the rain. She also had a simple gray poncho to cover her torso, a cane lay resting next to her in the ground. "I think the mud learned its lesson, sonny."

Blueblood only grumbled and look away. "What do you care?" He angrily replied as he hugged himself in frustration. "Mind your own business grandma."

"My, my such a dangerous wrath you have in you." Blueblood could hear the mare approaching him while still laughing at him. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to run around with fire?"

Blueblood trembled in rage before turning around, fully intent on lashing out again. "What do you know about my fa…" Before the Ronnie could process what was happening, at breakneck speed, the mare closed and tapped his chest with her cane. Somehow, at that moment, the fiery rage burning within his chest was gone. Ripped out like an old piece of paper from a book. "There, all better now."

"What the…?" The ex-prince watched at how the mare waves her cane a little to extinguish a smoldering flame that clung to its tip before looking at his chest, inspecting himself. He could not find anything wrong, not even burnt fur. Not only that but all the frustration and anger he was feeling was gone. Or at least reduced enough for the prince to recover his reason. "How did you do that?"

"Doesn't matter, it's in the past." She quickly replies as she goes back to her camp. "Plus you feel much better right?"

"Well…yeah, I think... so but how exactly did you…?"

"…Now, now sonny, before anything else, why don't you come over here before you catch a cold?" The mare offers him an empty log on the other side of the bonfire. "Come on lad, I don't bite." She joked and flashed the former royal a grin, showing him a mouth full of gums.

The ex-prince stands up and eyes the mare suspiciously before slowly approaching her and waving his hoof in front of her face until she used her cane to stop him, opening her eyes revealing a pair of discolored pupils. "Yes, dear I'm blind, now would you please stop that, and just sit?" She asks him again slightly annoyed.

Blueblood still looks confused but agrees and sit on the available log. "There you go, now we can talk, properly." The mare smiled and poked at the fire going with her cane. "So tell me, lad, why are you so far from home?" The mare casually asks.

"Because I no longer have a home to return to." The ex-prince answers in shame.

"Really?" She asks raising an eyebrow. "Do tell, how did a colt so young end up losing his home?"

"It a long story, let's just say that the stallion who I used to be, did not care for anything other than myself…and now I'm finally paying for it. I lost my home, my friends, my family…my name. Everything, I treated everypony around me like they were nothing and now that is what I have become…nothing. Just an exiled Ronin."

"Yeah, it sounds like quite the story you have there sonny, one I would love to hear in detail, but I would much rather hear it when you find out how it ends." The mare then stands up and starts to walk away, as a confused ex-prince just follows her with his eyes. "How it ends?"

When she stops, the mare turns around and looks at him. "Tell me, young man, now that everything has been stripped from you. Is this really how you want it all to end? Do you not wish to recover that what you lost? To have back and appreciate all the things you had, now that they were taken from you?"

"Of course I do!" Blueblood tells.

"Then your story is far from over, in fact, I dare to say. Now that there are no distractions in your heart or mind, it is just beginning." The mare smiles cryptically at him.

"What are talking about?" As if to answer his question, lighting strikes near them, and it's light revealed a cave behind the mare that was hidden only moments ago by the shadows. "Like this cave, there is more to you than meets the eye lad. Some secrets you still guard in your heart. Some demons that you have yet to face. If you truly wish to conquer your opponent, you must first conquer yourself."

Drawn to the cave, Blueblood stands up and slowly approaches its entrance. He could distinguish something moving inside but couldn't make a clear image of it.

"Tell me, lad, what do you see?" The mare asks without looking at him.

"I…I'm not sure, it too dark for me to see anything. Do you know what is inside?" The Ronnie asks the mare as he keeps staring into the shadows.

"It not my place to know, rather it is yours to discover and confront." The old mare replies as she goes back to the bonfire.

"But…what if I can't defeat my monsters?"

"It up to you lad, you can face your monsters like a man. Or pretend they are in the mud and keep punching it like a baby."

Blueblood nodded at her words before his eyes widened in realization from the terms the mare used. "What did you just…?" Turning around to face her, He only discovered that both the mare and the camp were nowhere to be seen. Not only that but now with his mind clear. The ex-prince could see the type of forest he was in. It looked like some kind of dense, dry wood, with pine trees whose tops were impossible to see. Besides some small vegetation in the form of bushes, there was nothing but dirt and roots in the floor, and there wasn't any fauna to be seen anywhere. But what really caught his attention is that nothing around him seems to have any color. Similar to what happened when he talked with D.

_Where the hell am I? _

The rain gained more force as the wind started to increase velocity and making him tremble from the cold. Looking back at the cave the ex-prince hugged himself once more to gain even a little bit of heat as he decided to venture inside. If anything, the place could provide him with some shelter.

Due to his rush, he didn't notice how the entrance disappeared like a mirage once inside, and he could see nothing but darkness.

Outside in the clouds, the mysterious old mare watched the ex-prince enter before transforming into the ghost-bandaged alicorn with one eye, who promptly returned the color of everything once more.

"Be brave young prince, your test is just beginning." She whispers to the wind before looking to the distance where the assassin was still being chased by the royal guards and heading for the outskirts of Canterlot.

"Not yet, there is still much for the Prince to learn before facing you." She nods once as she sees him escape, before disappearing in a flash of light.


	40. An Endless Teaching

**An Endless Teaching**

Darkness surrounded the ex-prince as he traversed through the cave, venturing deeper to avoid the stinging rain and bitter cold. Long ago did he give up in the hope of finding some form of wildlife inside, as the only sounds were his own hoof steps and the occasional drip of water near him. Even those faded away in time.

_What IS this place?_ The ex-prince wondered as he kept navigating the mysterious maze, _I swear I saw something moving a moment ago, why is everything just stop…?_ Before he could finish that question, he tripped into a rock and fell forward into an underground lake. The action almost drowned him from the surprise as he desperately struggled to find the surface. To his luck, he was able to see it thanks to a dim light that appeared and showed him the way out.

Swimming as fast as he could, Blueblood gasped for air and put both hooves at the edge of the lake as he tried to calm himself from the scare.

"Come on Albert, one more lap."

The ex-prince's blood froze the moment he heard the voice of his father behind him. As he slowly turned around, he was met with a sight that both scared and confused him immensely. As a kid and humanoid version of himself was swimming in an Olympic pool while his father coached him from the side of it. Not only that but he soon discovered that he was no longer in the cave and instead was back in what appeared to be a public yet empty pool. His old self and father seemed to not notice him as they continued their training.

"What the…?"

"Is an adorable image, right?" Startled by a new female voice, the Ronin looked ahead of himself and found a human woman sunbathing near him without a care in the world. Yet this particular woman scared him even more than what he had previously seen as he recognized her immediately. With a swimsuit of two pieces, and her trademark ponytails and light pink hair. The woman lifted her panda styled and shaped sunglasses, smiling at him maniacally. A woman that made waves in the gaming community ever since her first appearance and had since been associated with despair itself, a woman that has simply been know as 'Junko Enoshima.' "A dad teaching despair to his son. Can you imagine something cuter?"

"No! Not you, anyone but you!" Blueblood cried out in terror and tried to swim away from her, only to find himself being hugged from behind by her as she whispers into her ear. "Why so scared your Highness? I'm merely a figment of your imagination, a character from a game you once played. Just someone that never actually existed in the first place." Before he could do anything else. The Ronin found himself sitting in another chair next to Junko as she points at the scene in the pool once more. "But THAT? That, I'm not so sure about."

"What?" Confused, Blueblood looks once more at the image of his younger self as he reaches the edge of the pool and hangs on to recover some breath while his father stops the timer he was wearing. "Hmmm 3 minutes 20 seconds, not bad but I'm sure you can do better."

"Dad…can I have a break? My arms hurt." Albert complained before looking back at his father.

"Come on son, this is exactly what you wanted right? To be a hero, heroes need to be in the best of shape if they want to help others, or am I wrong?"

"No…you are right." Albert nods in agreement.

"Plus, I'm sure that you have it in you to be better than this. So come on son, let's do one more and then call it a day." To the ex-princes surprise, the image of his father even smiled as he encouraged his young persona into doing one more lap.

"What is going on?" He then looks at Junko who wasn't even paying attention anymore. "What the hell is all of this?"

"How should I know?" She looks back at him. "This is your memory, after all, you tell me."

"What are you talking about? This can't possibly be real, my father never once supported me in anything I did. He would never help me like this." The prince stood up and looked at her in anger only to be confused when he found out that he was back to his human self, wearing a pair of swim trunks. Junko for her part only smirked at him and sat on the chair. "Are you sure about that?"

Before he could respond, the ex-prince found himself sitting on a couch in some random room with minimal illumination. Next to him was Junko with a sweater munching on some popcorn, and he was wearing casual clothing that was all white. "Why don't we review the facts, one more time? This time lets think about it carefully?" procuring a remote control, she starts to change the channels on a, TV that suddenly appeared in front of the two, one channel showing his last moment alive. "Pretty nasty way to go am I right? Being crushed to death by a pillar in flames." She laughs before looking at him. "Believe me I know."

"Yeah, I'm familiar with what happens," Blueblood comments with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, so you know what that, does to your memories?" Junko asked while leaning closer to him, poking his left cheek with her ridiculously long nail. "Are you completely sure that all of your thoughts and memories are real? Or, more likely are they simply fabrications made up to ease your soul?"

Blueblood slapped her hand away and stood. "What are you talking about? My father only cared that I became a business tycoon like him; He only pretended to show interest in any of my dreams to manipulate…" Blueblood eye widened in realization "…wait, that. That is not right I…he never showed any interest at all…did he?" He started to cradle his head in his hands, growing even more confused as to what was going on as Junko smirked.

"Oh time to change the channel? Awesome, let's see what we have now." The t.v flickered, this time it showing Albert destroying the old lady's business once more, only this time he was smirking with malice at her and his father was next to him the whole time. "There you go, the new past is now settled. You have to love how that massive, last bump on the head can really mess up your head in such an irreparable manner that you no longer know what is and isn't real, wouldn't you agree?"

"No" Blueblood watched the scene in horror.

"Oh, so this is the version you wanted to be just like daddy? Well now we know why it took you so long for you to leave the place, don't you think?" Junko laid down on the couch as she continued to flip through the channels and show him more and more of Albert's sins as he kept on ruining the lives of everyone on display. "If you really were such a saint, as you claim. Why did you never help others? Why didn't you use your power to make a difference? Why did you never stand up to your father? Over and over again you just watched on as so many people cried their eyes out. Begging for mercy, and yet you gave none. Instead, you just kept twisting the knife in the wound. All of this, ALL of this, just so daddy could be proud."

"NO!" Blueblood roars out "That is not me, it's NOT! I refuse to accept it! I never was that monster!" He denies it all as he points to the tv ."And…And e-even if I was, that person is long gone. I will NOT let the past define me. I am my own person! Not someone else's lap-dog!"

"Are you?" Junko inquires as everything around them shifts and changes, this time Blueblood found himself back in the castle as he was sitting in Celestia's throne and wearing a business suit, a red cape and a crown in his head. "Or are you simply switching owners to serve?" Junko appears next to him, using her normal clothes. "After all, that is why you renounced the title, right?"

"I…I did it to stop Canterlot from spitting in half!" He argues, but Junko only pats his head.

"Sure you did junior, all for the sake of the company right?" She points a different image. One of Celestia wearing a suit and his eyes widen once he sees her acting like his father. Bringing Upper Crust and Jet Set into bankruptcy only to force them to get a job in the castle and work in cubicles. "A kingdom is like a company for you, right? So if the company suffers it's your job to fix it. Even if it means becoming the scapegoat to do so. You had one job, and you did it flawlessly yet again! So congratulations prince, the company is safe once more!"

"Stop it!" The prince ran away with closed eyes, refusing to hear the truth but as he ran, he found himself running through a hallway. With the voice of Junko echoing everywhere around him.

"Don't be sad your highness, if you don't like it, you simply need to wait for a better past, that is what makes your condition so wonderful. You now have the perfect excuse to justify everything you do from this moment onwards. Remembering things one way today, and then another tomorrow. While others have to settle with just one origin story for all their lives, you have the advantage of getting a multiple choice past! Isn't that wonderful?" Junko exclaims before laughing maniacally.

Trying to escape the madness he rushes to one room and closes the door behind him. Stopping all the noise and giving him a moment to breathe, while resting against the door holding his head. "That is not me." He whispers in shame as he closes his eyes.

"Well, of course, it isn't" The voice of Junko mocked, bring him back to reality. When he looks up, the ex-prince discovered that he just entered an oval room with mirrors lining the wall continuously. In each frame, Junko was reflected, even in the shattered remains of the mirrors that were broken. "Your past can't be ALL a lie, you need parts that are fact. Now let see, what part of your past is as clear as day?"

"Please, Junko…I beg you." The ex-prince begged her in desperation refusing to see anything else, yet she seemed to ignore his plea's and continued to muse out loud.

"Well, we know that the old fart was a soulless bastard."

"Stop it."

"We know that for all of your life, your relationship with him was...complicated, to put it lightly."

"Please stop!"

"Oh! And of course the best of the best. He was a master manipulator that made sure to teach you everything he knows. Including how to convince a woman to abandon her child the moment he is born!"

"STOP IT" Blueblood's scream managed to shatter the remaining mirrors and left everything in darkness once more. Finally breaking down into tears, the former prince sobbed and lay down in the ground, curling into a fetal position; Junko only laughing like she was known for.

"All those crazy ideas of a new start. Actually believing yourself capable of escaping your past. Thinking that you could just pretend not to be human anymore, to clean your conscience. Pretending to be something you are not."

She starts to laugh even harder. "More beautiful despair can't be found anywhere!" She starts to pat his back. "Prince, you are without a doubt, the greatest example of what despair can look like. I'm a little jealous, being capable of feeling such wonderful despair. Just imagining what you must be experiencing right now…oh, it makes me…" She moans next to him "…need to change my panties."

The ex-prince, having long since blocked her from his thoughts, recoiled further inwards in his mind as he wept amongst shatter glass scattered around him. Each sliver showing a crooked version of himself screeching out that he was a human and a monster over and over until all of a sudden, one of the voices spoke up. Cutting through the cacophony of noise. The silence that followed after its words was equally deafening.

"So what if that was your past?!" It called out. Surprised and startled, the prince looked up to find an elegant full body mirror in front of him. The frame of which was sculpted expertly to depict figures embodying both human and equine royalty in its reflective surface. Instead of showing his reflection, the Ronnie found himself staring not at his own reflection but that of his pony form wearing a boatie and glaring at him. Right away the Ex understood that he wasn't looking at himself, but rather was looking at the real Blueblood. "Are you really going to let that be all that defines you?" He asked in indignation.

The harsh words of Blueblood fell on the ex-prince hard as he looked down in shame "I'm so sorry…I really tried, I thought I could be a good pony and…"

"Enough!" In shock, the ex-prince looked at his doppelganger, slightly frightened by him raising his voice. "Stop with this charade, stop with this pathetic pity party, and for the love of Celestia stop pretending to be something you are not!" He demands.

"But that is what I'm supposed to be now if I'm not a pony?" The ex-prince looked at his hand "Then what am I? I…I don't want to be that monster once more."

"Just because your soul is human doesn't automatically mean you are one! Oh for pities sake, this is why I hate talking to commoners, they need everything to be spelled out for them." Blueblood complained in exasperation, irking the ex-prince a little with his comment. "I will try to keep this as simple and easy to understand as possible. You are neither pony nor human. What you are, is the harmonic fusion of both of our worlds."

"The fusion?" The ex-prince ask confused by his word choice as Blueblood simple nods, before looking down and continuing. "All my life I was nothing but a burden for my family. I never once thought of anyone else but myself and actually believed myself to be untouchable, and for that, I must now pay the price." Blueblood then looked back to the Ex with determination burning in his eyes. "That is why you were brought here, that is why you must become what I never was. My aunties have already lost a nephew." His expression turn pleading and sad. "Please don't let them lose another one. I can't simply stand the thought of hurting my aunt's even more." He confesses holding tears.

"Blueblood" The ex-prince was touched by Bluebloods words and put his hand against the mirror, but his copy backed away from the glass and cleared his eyes before speaking again. "Listen up and listen well because I'm not going to repeat this! Never be ashamed of what you are. You are the wish of my aunts made manifest, the hope of a better tomorrow and a new start for all of Equestria to see. The things, that...human mare with pink ponytails keeps spewing? They are nothing but tools and stepping stones for you to use and exploit, you hear me? That commoner has nothing on you!"

"Blueblood, no-" The ex-prince smile and shake his head as he stands up "Prince Blueblood…thank you, and…thank you for letting me continue your legacy."

"Oh, you better be thankful human! If you smear my title any more, I will never forgive you!" He threatened him before smiling slightly "Now get out of here, go teach my 'friends' what happens when you enrage a Prince! and I swear human, if you make our aunties cry again and I will haunt you for the rest of your life!"

The ex-prince felt a genuine smile creep across his face at that remark as he raised an eyebrow. "Our aunts?"

"I mean my aunts!…your aunts!… YOU GET THE IDEA, now go!" The prince yells at him with a red face, making his twin laugh and nod.

"I get it and don't worry I will" He promised Blueblood as he started to disappear but then thought of something "Blueblood!" He calls for his attention. "The Elysium fields! I…I don't know even if you are real or not but if you are and you really are in Tartarus, then look for that place! Consider it payment for letting me continue your legacy, it not too late for you either, there is still a way for you to obtain peaceful rest!" He shouts to him before disappearing completely. The Ex found himself back to the hall of mirrors where Junko was.

"Well look who came back," She smirks sadistically and changes into her more cheerful self, "I was wondering if you were trying to ignore me" She baby talked to him. She paused her antics in confusion though when she saw that they were no longer affecting him. Instead of the despair she craved, etched into his every expression she watched as he smiled at her.

"You have my thanks."

"...Come again?" Junko took a step back, not expecting that reaction.

"Thanks to you, I managed to face my inner demons. To say that it wasn't easy would be a gross understatement. yet it is thanks to you that I have come to terms with who I'm really am."

"What are you talking…?" Junko gasped when the ex-prince reverted back to his pony form "…no! Don't say it!"

"I'm not a pony. Nor am I a human. I am a promise for a better tomorrow and a new start. A new being who learned from his past mistakes and will now walk forward into a brighter future." he charged his horn and aimed it at her.

"Wait, don't do it! Don't end this beautiful despair!" She cries out to him in desperation.

"No! I have wept and wallowed in my own self-pity for long enough. It's time to say goodbye to despair!" He shoots a blast at her, shattering the woman into pieces as if she was made of glass. The bolt continued along its path. Shattering the darkness around it all the while. Utterly destroying the illusion all around him bringing him back to the cave, and underwater. The ex-prince choked on the water and floundered for a second, before feeling his body being pulled and flung free of the water as if the lake itself had rejected him.

Hacking up water and gasping great lung-fulls of air, the prince massaged his throat for a moment before illuminating the darkness with his horn. Looking around for his savior in confusion, The Ex could only watch as the water gathered and decrease in size until it became a small puddle on the ground.

"Mortals that have found the strength to face themselves will never be welcome in my world of anguish" A deep booming voice from inside the puddle declared to him.

Approaching the puddle, the ex-prince noticed something moving on it before a creature emerges from the water. It body resemble that of an equine stallion, but the newcomer's body was extremely tiny, with thin and long hooves. The miniscule pony also he had what appeared to be transparent butterfly wings and long antennae sprouting from his head, but one of it was missing, and his left wing was broken. His fur a dusky, thunderhead gray and his tail and mane were long and black. The little stallion's body was soaking wet his mane hung lank, covering his face allowing for the ex-prince to only see a single luminous white, left eye. From his lessons with miss Cheerilee, the prince was able to identify his species as a breezie.

"Oh dear god, did my magic hurt…?" Before the prince could voice his concern, the breezie spoke, in the same booming voice.

"Do not pity me, youngling. No mortal weapon or magic will ever be able to pierce my flesh." The breezie answered as he started to amble towards the Ex-prince. Revealing how the end of his four hoofs... weren't. Instead of hooves, they merged seamlessly with the dark water that made up the puddle. Which in turn moved silently along around him. Like some sort of mobile plate.

_Wait…that means that that lake, that I was inside…THAT WAS HIS BODY!?_ The ex-prince's eyes went wide in realization as the breezie kept walking toward him.

"What…are you?" Blueblood inquired in surprise by the display.

"The mortal tongues refer to me as Despero. The ultimate shadow, the true inner self that lies underneath the heart of all living beings. I am the physical manifestation of despair and anguish. I am the product of all dreams that have been broken." the breezie announced.

"The manifestation of despair and anguish?" The prince repeated in disbelief.

"You rejected my existence even when you had seen my world and have met my siblings?" He asks.

"Siblings?" The ex-prince questioned back with a raised eyebrow. Making Despero sigh and look down dejected.

"Of course they never mention my name, why would the guider of souls or the spirit of chaos ever bother to speak about the sibling who only revels in sadness and darkness."

"Wait, guider of souls and spirit of…DISCORD AND D are your siblings?!" The prince pointed at him and yelled in complete surprise. "Wait…Discord and D **ARE** siblings?!"

Despero only sighs and turns around "It doesn't matter now if there is no despair left in your heart then leave, there is no place for you in my world," he tells him as he walks away. A white light appears behind the ex-prince, showing him the exit.

He sees the entrance for a moment before looking at Despero again "Wait, I still have questions! Was all of this a test?"

"Make of this whatever you like, little colt. My duty is only to show those that have lost themselves in despair the truth that lies in their hearts. It up to them to drown in their own sorrow or accept their shadows as part of themselves." He stops and looks back at Blueblood "You made your choice, now go keep your promise." He dismissed him before walking until disappearing into the darkness.

The ex-prince continued to watch the tiny retreating figure before it disappeared into the shadows of the cave before smiling and nodding. "Whether it was intentional or not…thank you, Despero. I will never forget what you taught me here." The ex-prince called out before turning around and headed to the exit with new resolve, a clear mind, and a light heart. Determined to face whatever the world has in store for him.

Once the light engulfed him, he found himself with blurry vision as reality came back in to focus only for a pair of green eyes staring back at him to dominate his vision.

Yelping in surprise, the ex-prince tried to back away only to find out that the eyes belonged to a mare with caramel fur and a brown mane, and she was currently pinning him down. The mare lifted her head and smiled before looking to the side "You're awake! Girls, he's awake already!" She yelled, ignoring the protests of the prince and his efforts to move her away, despite her petite form, she was surprisingly heavy.

The prince heard another voice sigh in exasperation as the speaker approached. "Pudding Head, I told you! You didn't need to rest on top of him!" The other voice, sounding more refined, reproached Pudding Head as she finally let go of the prince moved to go see her friend.

"Pudding Head?" The prince asks with widening eyes as in front of him, he beheld the mare in question talking with two other mares. One wearing a spartan set of armor and the other a purple, royal cape. He also discovered that they all were currently in what appeared to be some kind of underground chamber, with royal decorations adorning the walls and furniture and beds to rest. It was slightly old, but it seems to be repair and well taken care of.

"And I told you, there is no better heat source for a stallion, than the good old fashion, mares belly," Pudding Head tells the mare the prince quickly identified as Princess Platinum.

"P-Princess Platinum!" He looked to the side and saw the last mare studying him with a small glare. Before he could ask she beat him to the punch.

"Yeah, and I'm Commander Hurricane, yes we all real, no we are not ghosts, and yes." She shows him the same presentation card Death has previously given him. "Our mutual friend send us to help your sorry ass get your crown back." She quickly stowed the card before continuing "So do us a favor and when you get it, don't lose it again!"

The prince can only nod as he tried, and failed, to figure out what was going on.


	41. The Founders Of Equestria

**The Founders Of Equestria**

"Ok, let's see if I understand you all correctly."

After recovering from his initial shock, the ex-prince of Equestria managed to collect his thoughts long enough to seek out answers from what were possibly the most influential mares in all of Equestrian history. They all sat in a circle and compared notes since they too seemed to have questions for the Ronin as well. Something that had him slightly confused but agreed to do so nonetheless.

"You are telling me; that in order to help my aunts in teaching me the qualities of a great leader and to have the ultimate teachers on the subject of ruling a kingdom…Lady Death collected the favor Discord owed her to bring you all back from the dead?"

"Yep," Pudding Head quickly answered. "Don't worry, we aren't zombies or anything like that if you were wondering. We're kind of like what you are, only our bodies are made from clay turned to flesh and bone." She quickly adds. "Think of us like really, really well made and equipped golems."

"Hmph! As if a golem could be able to embody my radiance." Queen Platinum added with just a touch of indignation. Looking at her the ex-prince took note of her striking features. Her fur was a light grayish purple, her mane and presumable tail were of a silver color, and her eyes were of a magenta color, with just the right amount of dark purple eyeshadow framing her eyes. Her long legs ended with metal regalia on the end of her hooves, similar in design to what his aunts wore along with a purple diamond ring on her horn. "If it were up to me I would have chosen the most precious of materials to create our bodies. As the mares responsible for creating Equestria in the first place, I say we more than deserve it."

"Will you give it a rest already, Platinum." Commander Hurricane snarked out to the queen in exasperation as she rolled her eyes. Looking at her the Ronin manages to see her more clearly. Her fur was a dark red, on the side of her right cheek was a small scar most likely given it by a sword fight, her mane and tail were short and black. And her right ear was chipped on the edge of it. "We are here to help him," she states while pointing a hoof at Blueblood for emphasis, "get his sorry flank back onto the throne, not to win a beauty pageant."

"We could do both things, especially if you let me work on your manes and…"

"Don't even think about it!" Hurricane complains, reflexively clamping her hooves down onto her helmet. The ex-prince only blinked owlishly in confusion as he saw how the founders responsible for creating Equestria were currently bickering with one another as if they were siblings that didn't get along.

Suddenly they all heard the voice of Discord chuckling and echoing on the walls, making them all stop their conversations and look around for him. "Oh I don't know Hurricane, I think you could look fabulous with a beehive mane."

He suddenly appears in front of everyone as a giant bee before quickly removing the helmet before giving her that very mane style. "Buzz, buzz, but my queen. I don't know why, but today you look particularly homely, buzz, buzz."

Pudding Head chuckled and held her hoof on her mouth at the display as Hurricane can only look shocked at what was happening. Though, to her credit, she quickly recovered.

"Oh har, har, hilarious. GIVE ME THAT!" She violently yanked her helmet back and shook her mane to normal before putting back on.

"Hurricane, honey, dear, sweetheart, you really need to work with me if you want to be on the next cover of Equine magazine," Discord tells in a feminine voice and transforming into some kind of photographer with dark glasses and carring 5 cameras on him, as he snaps his finger two times and wiggles his neck.

The spirit of chaos then notices the ex-prince, and he turns his attention to him, transforming back to normal. "Oh well, would you look it here. Our dear patient is back!" He told with a smile and began to take his pulse, wearing a doctor shirt. "Aha…yeah, I diagnose two pills of OCOL a week. Daily chocolate milk breakfast and no heavy diplomacy for two months."

Then transforming into an old lady version of himself, Discord slowly turned to face the ex-prince and lifts a cane that he was using to move. "Don't ever do that again, you gave your old grandma one giant heart attack sonny. Kids these days, blacking out in the middle of the rain, and not even hearing one simple "Thank you" after bringing you here and get you some company. I thought I raised you better than that."

"Wait?" He then looks to the 3 founders. "So you didn't bring me here?" Blueblood asks them in confusion.

"Well no, dear." Platinum is the one that answers him. "By the time we arrived…"

"You're welcome by the way." Discord interrupts her, irking the ruler for a moment before she can continue.

"Yes... as I was saying after we arrived under the instructions of this weird creature," She states while taking a glance at Discord, "You were already inside…just standing in the middle of the room, completely soaked through with a thousand-mile stare. When we tried to get your attention, you simply collapsed and have been sleeping ever since." She told him with some worry. "Tell us, dear, how did you end up like that?"

"Yeah, I'm curious about that too." Discord says, transforming the place into an interrogation room and him into a cop with a cup of coffee in his claw. "We want answers, and we want them now!" He says in an over exaggerated tone. "And I warn you, young man, if you are making up stories, it better be one darn good one." He tells him with a glare, confusing everyone in the room.

"To be honest, I'm don't even know if half of what happened was real or not." The prince answers, holding his head. "After leaving Canterlot, I don't even know how long I walked until I ended up inside that forest."

"Oh, I can answer that." Discord tells in a cheery tone, reverting everything back to normal and showing him a picture of the prince on the bottom of a hole in the ground. "Not long at all. Almost immediately after you left the city, I found you in the bottom of a hole in the ground that you must have fallen into during to the rain and hit your head. So anything after that was just in your head. But please keep going, I love hearing stories that don't make any sense." He mirthfully replies, conjuring a bag of popcorn.

"A bump on the head? Everything that I saw was because I simply hit my head?" Blueblood asks holding his head and in effect, there was a bump on the side of it. "Wait, you saw me lying there, unconscious and injured and didn't take me to a hospital?" Blueblood looks at Discord in surprise.

"We're the ones asking the questions here, mister!" Discord rapidly responded. "And besides, the last thing Equestria needs right now is Daybreaker." He tells him with a roll of his eyes.

"Daybreaker?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Let just say, that the idea of you injured and in a coma would have resulted in old Celly getting really, really **REALLY** angry." He confides in the group with worry written all over his mismatched features.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter!" Pudding Head interrupted. "We were in the middle of a story, go ahead, what happens next?" She asks him excitedly.

"Ah, but what will be the point now? Nothing was…"

"Please!" She throws herself in front of his hooves, giving him puppy eyes.

The ex-prince sighs and rolls his eyes "Fine."

"Yay!" Pudding Head exclaims cheerfully and listens intently as he retold the rest of the story. All was proceeding somewhat normally right up until the point where he met Despero. There, Discord literally froze in place, staring at the ex-prince in mute shock.

"Ah come again, what did you say his name was?"

"Despero, a breezie who hooves were made of water. Spirit of despair and anguish…and apparently your brother."

That surprised the founders who turn to regard the Spirit of Chaos as he facepalmed. "Brother?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Yep, that's the one. Now everything makes sense." Discord remarks in exasperation.

"Wait, you are saying that, THAT was real?!" Blueblood asked in shock as the spirit of chaos simply nodded before explaining. "You didn't have a dream from the bump in the head Blues. My overly dramatic of a brother sucked your subconscious into his personal void of sadness and anguish so you could have a very vivid pity-party." He tells them exasperatedly before crossing his arms. "What a drama king."

"Why did he do that?"

"Because that's what he does! Desper searches for the saddest creatures he can find, takes their subconscious into caves (because he absolutely obsesses over those,)then he makes them even sadder and then drowns them in their own sorrow. The guy really needs a learn to cheer up once in a while."

"Eh when you say drown them…?" The ex-prince asked before being interrupted by Platinum.

"Ah Discord, are you actually saying that the physical manifestation of sadness and anguish needs to 'cheer up'?" Platinum incredulously questioned.

"I know what I said." He repeats turning his back to everyone.

"Well regardless, I'm thankful for what he did." The ex-prince informs the group with a smile, surprising Discord. "You are thankful?"

Blueblood nods in affirmation. "Yes, it was hard and painful to experience, yeah. But because I confronted my inner demons, I'm now at peace with myself and figured out what was bothering me." He tells with a chuckle. "In a roundabout way, your brother helped me find inner peace and a form of happiness I never thought possible."

"Really?" He clasps his hands together with a malevolent smirk. "Now, that is something I can use." He starts to chuckle evilly. "Oh, I will never let him forget this."

He continues to laugh and seemingly forgets the rest of the conversation. So Hurricane decided to jump in and bring it back in track. "Anyway now that everything has been cleared up, we need to talk about strategy. Mainly the where, when and how we are going to string up the two sons of a mule, bastard, jackass, sack of shit…!"

"Hurricane!" Platinum stopped her mid-rant by grabbing her hoof. "Count to ten" She suggested with a smile. Hurricane grumbled but nods and calmed herself down before speaking. "What I meant to say, is that those two…ponies" She finally spat out the word, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Perverted one of my favorite laws, so it fits their needs. I made it, so I, my boys and my girls had an excuse to fight each other and their superior commander to prove that they are not just bark. It doesn't have anything to do with removing the title of their superior officer! It was meant to be an opportunity to take their idea to the battlefield no questions asked!" She tells with clenched teeth. "Listen here colt, and listen well, since I can't wail on their heads until I hit tonsils, you better do so in my place!"

"Wait a moment, if what you are saying is true, then that means that everything that Jet Set and Upper Crust said…?"

"Doesn't hold a candle? Well yes and no, the law has been changed and altered, so it still fits in with Equestrias modern standards, but it still is a fundamental law, thanks in part to the insistence of Hurricane that we keep it." Platinum tells throwing a subtle, but not so subtle glare to her friend.

"Well, forgive me for trying to prevent our kingdom from becoming a bunch of wusses." Hurricane defended herself with a belligerent roll of the eyes.

"Anyway. The law indeed allows one to challenge a ruler to a duel. But the thing is this, It can only be addressed by someone with enough power, and a verifiable, extended list of proven crimes or abuses of power. Even that is subject to investigation and can only be accepted if another ruler acts as the witness of the fight, and can only be issued by another prince, princess of someone of high status, like for example, the captain of the royal guard. Or the head minister of justice." She explains to the ex-prince

"Overall, by simply saying no. Or claiming your lack of information, you were well within your right, to deny the challenge and Jet Set couldn't do a single thing against you or take your title. But since you caved into social pressure and accepted the duel, you made it semi-legal, and your actions open up the debate as to whether it was legal or not. So in short, you tripped yourself into a gray area where there isn't an easy solution to the problem."

"Oh." The ex-prince looks down in shame before slightly chuckling. "I royally messed up this time, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did." Pudding Head answers him with a smile and a pat on the back, make the ex-price feel worse. "But hey, cheer up! If it helps, Jet Set and Upper Crust stepped in it even worse." She consoled before passing a newspaper to the Ronin. The headline printed in bold and full-color picture beneath it grabbed his attention.

The picture prominently featured the Noble couple behind bars. Their features dominated by their shocked expressions. The title: 'Traitors to the Crown Arrested!'

"What the…" The ex-prince unfolded the newspaper and began to read. "As the search for the missing prince continues... And in light of the evidence, of a Cursed sword during the duel…Cursed sword?!" The Ronin pondered what the article meant before realization dawned on him, and his expression turned furious. "Those two-timing, no good, cheating bastards! They couldn't even fight fairly, in a duel where they were sure to win!"

"Keep reading." Platinum issue him, which confused the ex-prince, but nods and continues to read out loud. "…the princesses, have issued warrants for the arrest of the prime suspect in the case of attempted regicide of the Prince of Equestria…" Blueblood had to reread the article to believe what he was reading "Wait, what? Regicide?"

"Yeah, long story short. Someone tried to kill you during the party." Discord explained. "Don't worry though, your two favorite guards took care of everything and scared him off."

"Amber and Stellar!" Blueblood eyes widened in realization. "Are they ok? What exactly happened? Are my aunts alright?" He queried frantically, but Hurricane snapped him back to reality. "One problem at a time, please. Now finish reading." She points to the newspaper.

The Ronin, looked at them still confused but relented and kept reading. "…and placed the city in complete lockdown... forbidden anyone to enter or exit the place indefinitely...and limiting the business industry to at-cost trading. As well as the only ones able to trade with the rest of Equestria at large is the Royalty and their direct subordinates... Who continue to provide the resources for the wellbeing of Canterlot and its citizens. When asked "why the crown was taking such extreme actions?" the chilling words of Princess Celestia froze a reporter to the core and prevent him from asking any further questions: 'My Authority has been trampled, and my family injured. Until my Sister and I have news about our nephew's whereabouts, the lockdown will remain in place.

Furthermore, we are willing and able to compound its enforcement if our authority is challenged yet again… and if he is found dead. Heed my warning now... All citizens of Equestria and its territories... The heads of traitors will roll'."

"No..." Blueblood tosses the newspaper away. "This isn't happening, It can't. My aunt would never say something like that!"

"I'm afraid it really is happening, dear," Platinum consoles him sadly. "Whether you like it or not, you hold a special place in your aunt's hearts. Of course, Celestia wouldn't take this injustice lightly. Your actions have stirred up a lot of things recently, and that attack to your character was simply the worse thing Jet Set could have done. Celestia was already traumatized by what happened to Luna. Canterlot was standing on the edge of a knife and Jet Set simply made it worse. The failed assassination was the spark that ignited the fears throughout all the city. Chaos was inevitable, and only by taking drastic measures could peace be maintained."

"One form of chaos, I'm not particularly a fan of, may I add." Discord tells placing two cents in the ground. "I know, even I'm shocked. but what those two caused...chaos or not, it simply was wrong." He growled out angrily. "Add all of that on top of how I found you, and things might have turned out far, far worse. That is why I hid you. And believe me, each day that passes without you sleeping has made Luna grow more and more concerned." He informs him with some worry.

"Each day? What do you…?" Realization dawned on the Ronnie before he looked at the founders once again. "How long have I been gone?"

"Two weeks." Platinum answers with sadness.

"Two weeks?!" The ex-prince shouted in shock. "Oh dear god, two weeks of me disappearing off the face of both the earth AND the dream world! No wonder my aunts are starting to fear that I'm dead!" He wails holding his head with his hooves.

"Yep, but in the plus side, it gave Celestia and Luna enough, motive, material, and evidence to go arrest Jet Set and Upper Crust. Cutting their support from the nobles off at the knees. Not to mention, that even though they have been implementing harsh laws and procedures for Canterlot. They have done so without looking like cruel or unreasonable rulers and are indirectly saving the entire nation from an economic crisis." Pudding Head explained to him with an innocent smile. "So…glass half full at the very least?"

The ex-prince remained quiet before standing up and headed to the exit. "I need to solve this mess, tell my aunts everything is ok and that I'm in…" He paused for a moment to take a look around the place. "Where is here anyway?"

"Oh, just the original castle of Princess Platinum before leaving and founding Equestria, which is like a week away from here on foot, give or take nothing too big." Discord answered without a care in the world as he inspected one of his paws.

"One that I took the liberty of cleaning it up thank you very much," Platinum added with pride before hearing her companion clearing their throats in annoyance.

"Oh ok, WE cleaned it up" She corrected before rushing to the entrance "And I'm afraid you can't leave yet!" Platinum stops him from leaving. "Like I said you are in a gray area where there isn't an easy solution for your predicament."

"Yep, that is the point I was getting at. We can't go to Canterlot just yet." Hurricane adds.

"What? Why not?"

"You have no idea how bad are things right now, how emotionally fragile your aunts are at the moment, what negative effects your sudden return would cause. Especially if it ends up with you not needing to face anything you claimed you would pay for. Honestly, I can go on; hay, you don't even know how to use magic properly." Platinum lists.

"Do you even have a plan?" Hurricane questioned. "Or what? Are you simply expecting to walk right into Canterlot? Yell that you are there, and pray that things somehow will go back to normal just like that?"

"I…" The ex-prince wanted to say something, anything, but can't find the words. So he simply looked down in resignation "…no" He then gazed back at them. "But we need to do something! Things will just keep getting worse otherwise!" He countered.

"And that is when we come in," Pudding tells him with a cheerful smile. "Don't worry Bluey, we will help you get back that crown of yours in no time. I promise. But first, we have to prepare for everything! And the first thing on the docket? Teaching you how to use magic the right way, human-style!"

"Human what?" Blueblood queried as he looked at Pudding Head, confused by what she was saying

"Oh don't worry, it will be a blast." Discord reassured him cheerfully "And you can count on my help, during the process." He informs Blueblood, giving him an exaggerated bow.

"Seriously? Wow Discord, I don't know what to say. but thank you." Blueblood responded gratefully. "And not that I'm opposing the idea or anything, but why do you want to help? If I get this correctly, we are talking about a... extended... training session. This could turn rather boring rather quickly."

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, besides" He looked at the three founders with an evil smirk. "I haven't had the pleasure of pranking the three ponies that created Equestria in the first place, and this way I will have plenty of opportunities."

"You have a really disturbed and twisted sense of humor, Discord," Platinum states flatly in disgust.

"Oh sweetie, you don't know the half of it." He chuckles in anticipation.


	42. To My Dear Aunts

**To My Dear Aunts**

As another day in Canterlot came to a close, Princess Celestia kept admiring the horizon in sadness. Her sister Luna stood at her side during the whole process; no words were needed as they gazed at one another. Celestia waited in expectation, yet with a heavy heart, as her sibling quietly shook her head. Their nephew had yet to be found, and the stress of the situation had taken its toll on the monarch of the night as bags began to form under her eyes, ones matched only by her sisters.

Closing her eyes, Celestia took a moment to lament what was happening as painful flashbacks from the past swirled about in her mind. Only this time, fear was mixed into her worries. As hard and difficult as the banishment of her sister was, Celestia knew that she would eventually return. She wouldn't die, and she knew where Luna was at all times. But now with someone as mortal like Blueblood, truly banished into the unknown, it was anyone's guess if he was safe or even alive and the idea of his demise was slowly worming its way into the back of her mind.

The sudden touch of her sister's hoof against her chest brought Celestia back to reality, as she saw the same pained look on Luna, who she tried her best to remain strong and smile in an attempt to comfort her sibling. Of the two, Luna could always maintain her composure better.

"Do not lose faith, sister. We will find him." Her voice was clear and calm, yet the sharp eyes of Celestia saw right through the charade. Luna was starting to fear the worst as well. She couldn't blame her in the slightest though, it was one thing to disappear for weeks without a trace. It was an entirely different matter to be dodging the Princess of the night in the dream realm for the same amount of time.

Celestia smiles and nodded at her sister. Even if it was unlikely, she decided to throw away logic, at least for now, and hold on to hope.

"I know we will sister, I'm just worried. It has only been two weeks, but it is still unsettling. Not even our best spies or trackers could elude the need to rest. How could he possibly have achieved this? If it wasn't that, then maybe he…"

"Don't even say it!" Luna stopped her before Celestia could say anything else. Her words tinged with a hint of desperation. "He is alive Tia! Do you hear me?! Alive! Th…there are ways, methods for one to elude dreams. My realm is composed only of dreams and not the act of sleeping itself. He simply manages to rest without dreaming. From his condition, it is more than likely. Our soldiers managed to drive the assassin all the way to the badlands, and even if he escapes into that desolate place, his return will be detected the moment he touches Equestria soil again. Our nephew is alive and well. And. We. WILL. Find. Him." Luna repeats with a fiery determination, before heading to the balcony and extending her wings.

"Now rest my sister, leave the night to me, as you patrol the dream realm."

Moved by her words, Celestia found new vigor and nodded to her sister. "May the stars be with you sister."

"And with you, and don't forget to contact me if you see him in the dream realm, Tia I mean it. If you keep me from this, I will never forgive you."

"I would never do that Lulu," Celestia confirmed to her, as Luna took flight and headed to the skies.

Once gone, Celestia let out a sigh and let her head down as she sluggishly made her way to her bed. A bed that had seen so many tears in the past days, and she was starting to fear they were far from over as one single drop left her eyes while she was closing them.

_Please, I'm begging you, if you are there, give us a signal, please Blueblood. Come back home._

When her little prayer finished, the princess got to bed and pulled the covers over, sleep soon claiming her. Once more she dove into the realm of dreams and started her arduous task of searching for her nephew. Usually, Luna would be the one searching in the domain of slumbers, but for the sake of preserving their energy and increasing their chances, the sisters decided to take turns and explore the land while awake and the world of dreams while they slumbered. It was a hard task and something that was draining their energy since it meant giving up an opportunity to rest, but they were determined and willing to make the sacrifice.

Once inside, Celestia didn't waste a moment before she began looking. Once more she started the search for her nephew, praying to find even the slightest hint, the barest signal, a beacon of hope. Any sign of life that she could detect and follow.

At first, like all other attempts, nothing seemed to respond.

Suddenly the princess gasped, and her eyes widened when out in the distance, something reacted. It was faint at first but grew when she focused her magic toward it. The princess got the confirmation she was looking for; a dream was forming, one she was more than familiar. Her nephew was finally dreaming, and she just found him.

Not wasting time. Celestia poured all of her energy and dashed toward the signal like a rocket, all the while calling for her sister as fast as possible. There was no time for subtlety or decorum; she had found her nephew and Equestria would be damned if she would let anything get in her way this time.

She was about to enter into his dream when a surprised and slightly scared. Luna grabbed her sister by her tail to halt her advances, confusing Celestia in the process.

"Luna, what are you doing?!" Celestia turns to her sister in anger as she let her go once they came to a halt.

"Preventing you from ruining our chance to recover our nephew!" She scowls back.

"What?"

"What is the first rule when entering another pony's dream?" Luna demands her sister for an answer.

"Lulu, what is the point of all…"

"What** IS** the first rule?" Luna repeats herself, and once calmed down Celestia understood what her sister was going for.

"Always approach it slowly and with caution." Celestia finally answered.

"Or?" Luna pressed on.

"…or you will risk either turning the dream into a nightmare. Scare the dreamer out of his or her slumber, or torpedo them into a dream inside a dream." Celestia finishes before sighing. "I'm so sorry sister, I just…"

"I understand sister," Luna interrupts her, "I want to see him very badly too, but this is the dream realm, and we must always be careful with every step we take." She smiled at her before looking back at the entrance of Blueblood's dream. "Now let try this again SLOWLY!" Luna remarked giving her sister a small glare.

"I will be a careful sister, I promise," Celestia confirmed, following her sister's example as they walked inside.

"Oh, one more thing," Luna mentioned as she finally entered. "This is the first time you have visited our dear nephew's dream so I should warn you, as you recall his mind is now that of a human, therefore his dreams might look a bit different than what you are used to seeing."

Celestia chuckled at that "I think I can handle it, Lulu." Celestia told her with confidence as they both found themselves at the entrance of a desolate and ruined Canterlot castle. Immediately the sisters could feel a sense of dread and guilt surrounding the place as they exchanged worried glances.

Using her magic, Luna managed to detect Blueblood and took the lead. "This way, our nephew is inside the castle."

Celestia nodded and followed behind, casting furtive glances all around the place. Spiderwebs, signs of battle, burnt out paintings and broken glass adorned the palace as they kept walking.

"What do you think this means sister?" Celestia asked walking faster, so she was next to her sister. "A nightmare?"

"Unlikely, I can detect fear but its not the type of a pony wishing to escape danger. Rather, it more like a future you fear might happen because of your actions." Luna explained.

"So this is something Blueblood fears might happen?" Celestia asks as her sister nods in affirmation.

"Why would he think that?"

"Because after my fight with Fort Knox, the relationship our family had with the citizens of Canterlot started to crack like brittle glass." The voice of Blueblood echos out through the hallways, surprising both sisters as they hear him up ahead. Rushing towards the source, the princesses enter the throne room where they beheld an empty seat being watched over by a mysterious hooded bipedal creature; Celestia immediately recognizing the individual. He sighs and confirms that it was really her nephew.

"Now I know that it was something silly and paranoid of me to think, but for a while, I really thought that because of me all of Canterlot was breaking apart, and I needed to fix it some…"

Blueblood started to turn, only to be tackle-hugged by a distressed Celestia who openly wept as she nuzzles his face. "Oh Blueblood, my baby! My sweet Blueblood. Thank the stars you are ok!" She wailed as she continued to cry and nuzzle him vigorously.

After recovering from the initial shock, Blueblood smiled and put his hand behind her head. "I missed you too auntie." The moment his hand touched her, Celestia flinched and took a step back, not expecting the sensation, and finally looking at her nephew who's body had a bipedal shape. His snout, horn, tail, and fur was still there, But his body seemed to have the form of a minotaur, with equine hooves. He was wearing a simple pair of blue colored jeans and white formal shirt. His claws seemed and felt softer than any other natural weapon she had seen or had the misfortune of experiencing the pain of.

"B…Blueblood?" Celestia questioned in surprise while looking at the weird creature.

The ex-prince was surprised by her reaction for a moment until he understood the reason why, and chuckled a little "Yeah, I suppose that was to be expected." He tells with a nod.

"Told you that his dreams were different." Luna snarked at her sister with a knowing smirk as she approached Blueblood and helped him stand. Deciding to change into her human form while at it, but leaving her wings this time. "It fills me with joy to see you well, nephew," Luna tells him before bringing him in for a hug, one he reciprocated soon after.

"Likewise," Blueblood replied fondly before looking at her with some sadness. "I'm sorry for making you two worry, for so long."

"There will be time for that later, nephew. For now..." Luna look at the ex-prince up and down. "I'm more intrigued by your new form, it has a... marked difference from your usual human appearance," Luna asked, intrigued by this change.

"Yeah, I'm curious about that form myself," Celestia added, equally intrigued.

"Well, ever since I left Canterlot, I have been doing some soul searching, and I've gained some perspective on a lot of a lot of things, especially the question of, who am I, really?" He tells them as he circles around the room and stops in front of two mirrors, one showing a human silhouette and the other a pony one. "Am I really a pony now? Am I still human? Am I neither or both? Those were the questions that I kept asking myself." Blueblood looked at his hand before looking back at his aunts with a smile. "Finally I found my answer and I came to terms with it. I'm neither human or pony…what I am, is Blueblood. A fusion of the human and equine world. Something new and better that embodies both worlds" He places his palm over his chest. "What you see in front of you, is who I'm really am, and to be perfectly honest with you, I like it."

"I see, you clearly put a lot of thought into that decision," Luna remarks with a calm smile, "I'm just happy to see you finally making peace with yourself."

"Thanks, auntie." He then looks at Celestia with some worry. "I know that this is a lot to take in, so I will understand if you wish me to change into my pony form and…"

Celestia stopped him with a quick shake of her head "Not at all dear, as long as you are happy. I'm ok with whatever form you take because I know that no matter what, you will always be my sweet little nephew. In fact…" Celestia looks at his body with some curiosity "…I would be lying if I say that I'm not slightly intrigued by the concept of being on two legs, do you mind if I try it?"

"Well I have no problem with it, but are you sure you want to? Really, I don't mind if you prefer staying in your original form. The important thing is to be comfortable with what you really…"

"Nonsense! I might be slightly old, but you are never too old to try new things." Celestia proclaimed before using her magic to change into a bipedal form of herself. Blueblood's eyes went comically wide in alarm when he took stock of the distinct lack of certain garments appearing on her person.

"Aunt Luna, please tell me that she knows about the slight issue with clothes," He calls out, averting his gaze and covering the side of his eyes with his hand.

"Oh my gosh! Celestia wait!" Luna cries out in fear and rushes to her sister, tackling her in the process and conjuring a toga and her royal regalia.

"Luna what are you doing?!" Celestia squawks in alarm by the sudden attack from her sister.

"Apologies Tia, but if you really want to adopt our nephew's appearance, there are a couple of rules you need to follow. And clothes at all times is the very first one!" Luna explained while she gets to work in covering her sister.

"Wait, Luna stop! Luna! For ponies sake Luna! I can dress myself!"

Once the dust settled, Luna stood up and sighed in relief as she admires her handiwork. "There, that is better." She admits, crossing her arms.

Looking back again Blueblood took a moment to admire his two aunt's new forms. Just like him, they too now looked like a humanoid equine version of themselves. Luna most likely followed her sister 's example during the whole kerfluffle. They were both wearing the same togas Luna used when she talked with him in his dreams for the first time. But in her case, she even went one step further in making hers blue and filled with her stars.

"Are clothes really that necessary?" Celestia asks, slightly irked by what her sister did and inspecting her attire, making Blueblood chuckle as he approached the two.

"Unfortunately, it is auntie," He informs her while offering his hand to help her stand up, which she accepted. "Nothing personal, it's just that in my world, being naked in public is frowned on by society except in certain zones and communities." He explained with a smile.

"Really? Why?"

"It, kind of a long story and I prefer to explain it some other time," Blueblood admits with some degree of embarrassment.

"Well regardless, I must admit that this form is indeed quite intriguing," Celestia tells admiring her body. Though her examination came to a halt once she sees her hands. "The addition of these strange appendages at the end of my forelimbs are, what I can only assume are claws. Though their existence baffles me with their purpose. They are too soft to be used as weapons, too small to aid in digging or breaking hard ground or stone, and I'm assuming too fragile to act as some kind of defense mechanism" She then look back at him. "Yet, I can perceive some latent potential in them that I can't simply see at first glance. Once we go back home, you will have to explain in detail what mysteries these claws hide." Celestia tells him in excitement.

"Go back?" The ex-prince ask his aunts with a raised eyebrow, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, aunties but I can't go back just yet." He tells them in sadness.

"Of course you can!" Luna approached him and grabbed his hands. "Nephew, the duel you participated in has no power over you whatsoever. Jet Set and Upper Crust cheated by tampering with your weapon in order to gain an unfair advantage, they demanded retribution without any grounds to stand on. They claimed to be of high enough rank to issue the challenge in the first place, which they most certainly are not, and lastly, the conducted a duel without the consent or witness of a royal figure or a chief in command. Therefore their demands and accusations are void and incapable of holding any sort of weight in the eyes of the law. There is no need for you to relinquish your title and remain in this self-appointed exile, You can come back home." She brings their hands to her chest. "To us." She tells him with hopefully smile.

"To your family," Celestia adds, grabbing his hands as well and looking at Blueblood with her own hopeful smile.

For a moment Blueblood considered their offer and was tempted to accept it, yet the words of Platinum keep ringing on his head and reminding him of what was going on with the kingdom and what needed to be done, so with a heavy heart and a deep sigh the ex-prince quickly looked down in sadness. "If only were that easy." He whispers mostly to himself as he lets go of their hands and looks up to them both.

"I'm…so sorry Aunties, I'm really am, I really wish that I could go back home. I miss you a lot, I'm distraught over what is going on in Canterlot right now, and about Pinkie and Fluttershy, especially for dragging them into this mess. But I simply can't go back yet."

"But why?" Luna asks in confused by that reaction.

"I know what is happening." He tells them conjuring the newspaper he read in the morning. "I'm aware of the lockdown, and know the real reason behind it." He tells them both with a severe expression.

"Blueblood what are you talking about?" Celestia asks.

"Please don't." He shakes his head and then taps his temple knowingly. "Don't forget the type of mind I possess. I might not know much about Equestria, but if there is something I excelled at, It's knowing how the market works and seeing when one is in the middle of a crisis. As it stands currently, my returning would only be the equivalent of pouring blood on a sea full of sharks, and I'm telling you, you do not need that because I can smell the blood from here."

Luna could only sigh and look down in shame. "…It's just like you said." Luna finally admits surprising Celestia. "Luna!"

"As Fort Knox warned us, the Equestrian economy has been brought to a screeching halt due to his nefarious actions." She then looked at him, still confused. "But, what does any of this has to do with your exile nephew? If this is because you arrested that pony…"

Blueblood stops her by raising his hand. "It not just that Aunties." He answered, making the royal siblings even more confused as they wait for him to elaborate. "Ever since I left the castle I have been wondering what it means to be a prince, and what can I do to be a pony worthy of the title and not follow my predecessor's footsteps? Jet Set and Upper Crust might not have anything on me. But their words have some truth behind them. I haven't earned my title yet, and for me to continue using it, or recover it like this doesn't seem fair." He tells in shame. "It makes me feel like I will be nothing more than a joke at best, and fake at worst."

"Sweetie, there is absolutely nothing for you to prove," Celestia tells him. "You are more than worthy of your title."

"Am I really?" He questions himself, "The moment I wake up, I only search for answers refusing any help and end up in the hospital for it, then when I try to live as I want my decisions brought tension and fractured relationships between the crown and its citizens, and when I tried to fix it, I end up making everything worse, by acting without thinking!" He yells as he punches a wall with frustration using his right fist "I'm sorry Aunts, but I can't afford to screw things up, even more, I just can't, so that is why and until I truly earn my title, I can't simply return home. This is something I simply need to do." He looks out of the window where the city was showing. "I don't know how, but I can feel it, our kingdom…it's bleeding, even as we speak, and that is something I just can't ignore."

"But how long will all of this take?" Celestia asked in worry. To her slight relief, her nephew smiles at her in determination. "One month, just give me one month, and I swear, I will return and will fix all my past sins."

"And are you certain you can fix the problem in just a month?" Luna questions him with a raised eyebrow.

He nods at that, "I know so, and know that I have finally figured out who I am. I'm ready to face this head on, and I now have the tools to solve it." He then approaches Celestia who still seems distressed. "Don't be sad auntie, I will return, I promise. Just think of this as one of the tests you gave Twilight in the past, but with me."

"But Blueblood…it simply is too soon, too sudden I…I don't even know where you are!" She tried to protest, as Blueblood held her hand. "Please auntie, trust me. Let me fix this one problem. Let me show you my determination!"

Luna smiled and put her hand on his shoulder "If you are sure you can handle this, then you have our support dear nephew." She tells him with a calm smile, surprising Celestia.

"Lulu! You can't!"

"He's not a colt Celestia!" She shoots back. "We can't force him to stay in the castle all his life, and there are lessons in life you simply have to let your loved ones go and hope for the best, just like you did Twilight. I think our nephew has earned the right to, at the very least, try." She argues.

Celestia wanted to retort, but unable to find any counters finally settled to nodding in defeat and sighing before approaching Blueblood with teary eyes. "No matter what you do, or how long you go, remember this. You will always be our precious little prince." She tells him as she joins their foreheads, being careful with their horns and closing her eyes. "Always." She whispers as a tear slips out of her eye and down her cheek.

The ex-prince remained quiet as he closed his eyes too, appreciating the moment "Love you mom" The ex-prince whisper to her, before saying their farewells as he slowly started to wake up. "Oh and please release Jet Set and Upper Crust, I know they broke the law but trust me. They will get what is coming to them. I simply need them free for just a little while." He pleads with his aunts with some embarrassment.

"Now Blueblood, that is asking for too…" Luna comments but Celestia interrupts her with a smile.

"Consider it done, best of luck sweetie." She waves to him in goodbye as Blueblood vanishes and returns to the world of waking.

Luna looks at her sister with a raised eyebrow and then gave her a knowing smile. "You are going to send a platoon of soldiers to look after him, aren't you?"

"Just the volunteers that were already searching in the first place." Celestia smiled.

"They will need the tracking spell I put on him while we hugged goodbye," Luna adds with a smile of her own, surprising Celestia. "Hey, just because I am not the best at expressing it, doesn't mean I don't care. It was simply a small precaution."


	43. Royal Training Session

**Royal Training Session**

Stirring himself awake, the Blue Ronin stared at the ceiling deep in thought. Questioning himself if he made the right choice, as well as wondering, what kind of training the 3 founders of Equestria had in store for him that would guarantee results in just one month. His answer arrived almost immediately after blinking only once when he found himself face to face with Pudding Head, smiling widely at him. This, of course, startled him greatly and nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Oh good! You are awake. That means that we can start now!" She greets him with a happy voice as she backs away from him. Holding his chest, Blueblood glared at the mare "Pudding Head, how long have you been staring at me while I sleep?" He inquires angrily, only for her to giggle in return.

"Silly prince, you shouldn't be asking questions you don't want to hear the answers to!" She responded cryptically before turning around. "Now come! We are all waiting for you in the garden!"

Blueblood blinked few more times, mulling that nonanswer in his mind, but ultimately decided to let it go and followed Pudding Head through the hallways, heading to the garden. Taking the occasional glance at the condition of the place, he was still impressed on how despite being thousands of year old, the castle still stood tall and proud. No doubt thanks to the help of Discord in restoring it, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't stop wondering exactly how much Discord restored and what the pillars did themselves.

"Chancellor, you do know that I'm no longer a prince right?" Blueblood looked ahead to see Pudding Head. "You don't need to be calling me that anymore."

"But that is what you are silly, what else would I call you?" Pudding replied.

"Just call me Ronin, that is what I am after all. Remember? I lost my rights, so that is my name now."

"Hmmm…nope, I don't buy it, 'prince' suits you much better." Pudding Head quipped back.

"It doesn't matter it suits me or not, Chancellor. I can't just go around still calling myself prince." Blueblood attempted to explain.

"Exactly! You don't put it on yourself or have any say in the matter." She regards him with a smirk "A title is something you are given by everyone else, whether you like or not. And I say, you are Prince Blueblood, so get used to others calling you that." She tells him. "That is how things work here in Equestria!"

The prince tried to argue back but found it impossible to argue with her logic, so he decided to remain quiet and keep walking until they reached the hallway exit. They then stepped into a garden reclaimed by nature and filled to the brim with debris, spiderwebs and fallen logs. In the middle of all that, Hurricane and Platinum were waiting for them. The former was doing some push-ups with only one wing while the other was enjoying some tea under a well-kept marble gazebo.

"About darned time you showed up!" Hurricane complained, ending her repetition by jumping backward and landing in front of Blueblood. "I don't know how things work now, but in my time, it wasn't a good idea to make your commanding officer wait!" She treated him with a glare until Pudding chuckled and patted her head. "There, there Hurricane. We know you're just excited, but remember, this is just day one, so let the poor colt settle in first."

The commander rolled her eyes before walking away. "Whatever, just try not to waste the day snoring, ok?" Hurricane asked as she goes to sit on a rock nearby.

"Ok, I'll be going and making breakfast then, bye everypony!" Pudding Head called out to the group in a cheery singsong voice before dashing away. The ex-prince looked to his teachers in confusion.

"I'm that late?" Blueblood inquired with some embarrassment.

"Oh not at all, dear. That's just Hurricane being herself." Platinum tells with a roll of her eyes as she stands up and approaches. "You know what they say. "Once a soldier always a soldier." " She quotes with a chuckle before clearing her throat. "Anyway, before we start your training there is one issue we must address first."

"What is it?" Blueblood asked in wonderment as he waits for his training with some anticipation.

"Well dear you see, when you really try to concentrate on your magic, when you clear your mind and try to focus into casting complex spells like any other pony in Equestria…you suck." Queen Platinum states flatly to Blueblood with a calm smile, bringing his enthusiasm crashing down.

"But that is neither your or your teacher's fault. You can't learn magic the same way we ponies do. For you to truly understand the concept of magic, and more importantly, be familiar enough with it that it becomes an extension of your body, we will have to make use of two things. The first is a particularly useful spell that my good friend Clover the Clever taught me while my companions and I ruled over Equestria." Platinum explained with pride. "And then this." She then proceeded to show the Ronin a pair of iron handcuffs…or rather hoofcuffs without a chain and instead sported brightly polished red oval gem embedded in the center of both.

"I will explain the spell later, but for now, I will need you to trust us and put these on, dear." She issues, remaining calm and giving him the hoofcuffs.

The prince inspected the adornments and weighed them for a moment before looking at Platinum. "You are not joking, aren't you?"

Platinum shakes her head. "Not in the slightest, and I will not lie, it will be hard, but the results will be more than worth it." She tells him with a smile. "Please honey, trust us. This will guarantee fast results." She encouraged him again, so with a sigh and his goal still fresh on his mind, Blueblood put them on. Immediately after, the gems in the shackles shone and joined together as if attracted magnetically.

Surprise by the action and finding new weight the Ronin almost fell forward on to his face if not for the intervention of Platinum. "Careful dear, no one likes a prince with mud on his face." She commented while maintaining a calm smile, helping him sit before explaining the situation.

"As you can see, those are not ordinary bracelets."

"I noticed," Blueblood replied, trying to spread his forehoofs in vain. It seemed that the more force he applied, the heavier and stronger their hold got.

"That particular gemstone you obviously saw is notorious throughout all Equestria for being particularly sensitive to magic and for discharging magnetic fields once it is affected with such, and by shaping it into a pair of identical gems…"

"Oh for ponies…! We are not teaching a classroom Platinum." Hurricane exclaimed in exasperation and pushed her over before grabbing the shackles and lifting Blueblood into the air in the process. "Short version, unicorns wear this, and their magic feeds those rocks and binds their hooves together, end of story." She drops him and crosses her hoof. "There, I explained everything, can we move this along?" She complains.

"Wait! if they feed on magic, how do I take them off?" The prince asks in surprise.

"I was GETTING there!" Platinum interjects, using her magic to push Hurricane away. "As I was saying, the gems keep the shackles together but if you pour in enough magic…" Platinum demonstrates by charging her horn and casting a beam at the bracelets, which grew lighter and separated from one another, then letting the prince stand up.

"…you can cancel their magnetic field. You understand it now dear?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Good." She ends the spell, and once again the Ronin's hooves snapped back together. "Because you are going to spend a lot of time wearing them." Platinum announced "You see, the reason why you can't perform any sort of spell properly is that you are not used to your natural magic. Physically speaking you are at the peak of your health, but mentally, when it comes to using your horn…you are basically a toddler. And that is when those bracelets come to play." Platinum start to circle around him.

"The 3 principles of casting magic might have worked, giving you a base. But now we will use 3 human principles to help you get your mind up to speed with your body. You must be more than familiar with these ones since they have become the cornerstone of humanity in their society, culture, and nature since its origins."

"The cornerstone of our society?" Blueblood mumbles, trying to figure what Platinum was talking about.

"Adapt, Improve, Evolve." Hurricane answers shortly after. "Those are the 3 principles that your race have ingrained in their society since the times of cavemen to survive. And no matter how many times I think about it, I still find it incredible how your species grew and evolved from the bottom of the food chain as mere scavengers all the way to apex predators. If you weren't here as proof, I would say that it sounds like a wish-fulfillment story."

"Well, thanks," Blueblood mutters quietly, slightly flattered and humbled by Hurricane words.

"And using those principles, we are going to help you embrace your new anatomy and environment!" Platinum tells him with a smile. "First we will adapt your body to understand magic in its more raw form until it becomes instinctive, and then we will move on to improve it by starting your magic lessons properly and then…well, you will see." Platinum smirks at him cryptically.

"Until then, here is your first task." Hurricane looked at him with a smirk before pointing at the unkempt garden. "While wearing those, you are going to used a simple levitation spell to get rid of all the rocks, fallen logs, debris and any other junk in this place."

"What?!" Blueblood almost took a step back at her instructions before looking at the disaster waiting for him. "You want me to use all of my magic trying to lift and toss rocks around?"

"Oh no sweetie, that will only be your morning training." Platinum continued, scaring the poor stallion even more. "As I said, we are going to adapt your body by subjecting you to all sorts of training exercises until you can endure a whole day keeping those shackles apart."

"Can I at least have some breakfast first?"

"Nope," Hurricane tells as she and Platinum leave the place. "That will be your reward, you want a proper meal? You will have to earn it. Until then it will be just water, rice, and bread for you".

"And before you ask, the planning and strategy will come after you are done training, same with the spell of Clover. So do not worry, we will have plenty of time for that later. Until then, best of luck!" Platinum waves goodbye and both mares left Blueblood alone with his task quite literally in front of him.

With a sigh, the prince bowed his head down before looking at his task with some dread. _Yep, this is going to be hard._

And so days pass. As the prince continued his grueling training under the guidance of the three founders of Equestria. Each of them agreeing among themselves to take different approaches to his training.

Hurricane decided to implement regular combat sessions in the afternoon.

"Come on rookie! You call yourself a stallion? Show me some backbone!" Hurricane demands as they sparred with wooden wasters. The Ronin was doing his best to remain standing all the while holding the practice sword with his mouth.

He mumbles something before being struck down and be pointed at by the point of Hurricane's sword.

"Pathetic, again!"

"I can barely move like this!" Blueblood complained as he showed her the shackles.

"Do you think your enemies will care?" Hurricane bellowed at him as she continued attacking, making him roll over and grab the sword to block another strike. "Being a good fighter means to be able to prepare for anything that the world will throw at you. Fighting with honor means to never underestimate your opponent, and if you wish that your opponents fight fair, you first need to show them what will happen if they don't!" She strikes him again but this time offers her hoof to help him stand up.

"Cheating is the way of the cowards and means to be a one trick pony. You can be much more than that rookie, you just need to stop thinking on how little you can move." She lifts his shackles. "And start thinking how to move with these on." She tells them with a smile. "Now come on rookie, show me how a human mind really thinks!" She tells him, dropping back to being on guard once more.

Blueblood smiles and does the same as they resumed the fight.

Platinum would give him cleaning or construction tasks in the morning.

"Now I want this room sparkling clean, and rebuilt…" She ordered Blueblood showing him a room completely covered in a layer of dust, spiderwebs, broken glasses and furniture, and god knows what else. "…by noon" She finishes. "Fail, and you will start all over again tomorrow."

"All over again? How I will be starting all over…" At that moment Discord appears and tosses a bag full of dust into the room and then appeared next to them with a painters outfit as he kisses his claws. "I dub you 'Le Mess.'"

"Of course." Blueblood sighed before coughing violently from the dust. "Don't forget to cancel those shackles while cleaning dear! That will really help you build up your stamina and control!" Platinum called out as she left.

"Oh don't worry Bluey." Discord comfort the Ronin. "Just wait until you see what I did to her cape," he says with a chuckle. At that moment they both hear the princess scream in a fury. "DISCORD! I'm going to strangle you with your own TAIL!" She screeched, completely livid.

"And that's my cue!" Discord snapped his fingers and disappears, leaving Blueblood to begin his task.

And Pudding Head went with her unique training method of escaping a room she called the 'prank room,' filled to the brim with booby traps everywhere.

Crawling away from the room, the ex-prince panted in exhaustion with a pie smeared on top of his head as Pudding Head stop a timer. "Six hours? Oh come on Bluey, I know you can do better than that. Were you even trying? It was the pies, right? You couldn't resist tasting them, right?" She poked him a couple of times. "Well sorry, they are made with shaving cream. Remember, rules are rules!"

"You blindfold me and spin me around before tossing me inside…that." Blueblood finally answered after recovering enough air to speak and breath.

"You must always be prepared for the element of surprise…So surprise!" She yells while grabbing a lever. "Oh god, please don't, don't, DON'T!"

She pulls it, and the ex-prince is immediately tossed back inside the prank room which locks itself once more.

"Just one more run through and we will call it a day!" Pudding Head tells him before she starts eating a pie.

Days turned to weeks, weeks into months, and before he realized it, Blueblood had the nagging feeling that a year was coming to a close as improvements began to show; control in his magic improved significantly.

His body was starting to get used to movement again, and his reactions were getting faster and sharper. It was clear that his session was far from over but the fears of him losing the notion of time keep creeping on his conscious each day more and more until he couldn't take it anymore, and finally confronted the founders for answers. Fearing the worst and thinking that, at the very least, a whole year has passed. To his horror and dismay, the three actually confirmed his suspicions only to them be replaced by confusion as Pudding Head said that the month would restart tomorrow, and Platinum explained what she meant by that.

"We have been repeating the same month for a year now?!" The ex-prince asks them in shock.

"Yeah, we kind of forgot to mention it," Platinum tells him with some embarrassment, "That spell I told you that Clover the Clever taught me? It is a time loop spell. Each time the month ends, we regress to the start of it with all our knowledge and skill intact; that is why we don't perceive it happening." Platinum explains. "It also makes anyone that tries to enter the castle spiral in an endless loop of finding and entering the place without knowing that they are caught in a trap. Don't worry, this castle is in the middle of nowhere, so no one will ever come here."

"But…that also means that I have been getting older." He looks at his bound hoofs. "Am I a year older now?"

"Oh, Blues, you poor naive prince." Discord chuckled and tapped his head a couple of times. "Hello! Spirit of chaos and discord here? The creature that can break the laws of physics and order? Do you think something as easy as time can escape my grasp?" He tells with a raised eyebrow. "Messing around with the clock is one of my favorite hobbies!" He tells in delight before addressing the prince. "So don't worry about getting older, I'm telling you right now…you are not. In fact, you are actually completing a small time loop of my own creation." He tells remembering something.

"What do you mean?" Blueblood asks him, confused.

"Dear Blue, you never stopped to wonder why your predecessor, despite being a couch potato who only cared for spa treatments and being pampered all the time, was always in top physical condition? Hmmm?"

"So you're telling me that all of my training and physical improvement…are sent into the past?"

"…and ensuring your age does not move forward in the process yes." He says in pride. "One delightful yet small chaotic prank on the stream of time! Oh, I'm particularly fond of this one too, rather subtle for my taste, yeah, but making all those nobles lose their minds trying to figure out how the prince stays in shape despite never lifting a hoof, made it more than worth it."

"We didn't tell you right away because we didn't want you to think that you have ALL the time in the world to get in shape," Hurricane commented. "And don't you ever think that just because time isn't moving, you can slack off in your training. The moment I see you getting lazy, we will make things even harder for you rookie!" Hurricane warned him.

"I will keep that in mind" Blueblood replies.

"Good, now move it! You got your answer, so back to cleaning!" Hurricane pointed at the front door, and not wanting to test his luck, the ex-prince complied and left to start his session once more.

"He is getting better with walking on three hooves" Hurricane commented.

"Yep, but he still hasn't figured out how to keep those shackles apart for a whole day." Platinum adds with a tired sigh.

"He is getting there, little by little but he is getting there though!" Pudding mentioned with a smile.


	44. A Warrior's Best Friend

**A Warrior's Best Friend**

Dashing through the prank room, Blueblood jumped and spun around, weaving and winding his way through yet another wave of pie projectiles. The moment his body touched the ground, he dove again to escape a trapped floor full of whoopie cushions before making a sprint for towards the exit. All the while the ex-prince was trying to avoid a giant rolling bubble gum ball heading toward him. Skating on down through a hallway full of banana peels, the Ronin finally managing to escape unscratched from the dreaded room. Then he stands shock still, waiting. Counting to 5 and then quickly ducking beneath the one final trap in the form of a rubber chicken shot at him from a cannon. When the task was finally over, he sighed in relief only to be received by a cheer from Pudding Head who immediately hugs him in happiness.

"30 seconds! Wa Hoo! You did it! You did IT!" She chants while jumping for joy. Blueblood chuckled at her excitement while taking off the blindfold and hugs her back with both hooves. It was then that he saw the other 2 pillars looking at him with pleased smiles on their faces. "Yep, I finally figured out how that escape room of yours works!"

"Prank Room." Pudding corrected him while letting him go and allowing the ex-prince to breathe in peace while standing on all fours once again.

"Not bad Rookie, not bad at all." Hurricane remarked, "Of course I could have cleared it in 10 seconds, but you were passable."

"Oh don't spoil the moment Hurricane, he was great, and you know it," Pudding Head snarked to the soldier with a smile before looking back to Blueblood, "And now it's time to celebrate with a proper feast!"

"Indeed, dare I say that you have more than earned it." Platinum agreed before approaching Blueblood.

"But before we do that, tell us, honey, now that you understand how magic works, how do you feel about it?"

Blueblood looked at his left hooves as he continued to hold the steady stream of magic canceling out the effects of his restraints. "It was hard to tell before. Whenever I cast magic before, it was kind of hard and weird. It always felt like I was trying to force myself to sneeze through my forehead, and it felt unnatural every time I did. But now…it doesn't feel strange or uncomfortable, I don't know how to describe it but casting magic feels…natural. I suppose that is the closest answer I can give." Blueblood explained, looking to Platinum as she nods.

"And that is exactly how it should feel dear. The art of casting magic is one of the most beautiful arts in the tribe of unicorns; it's our greatest pride and joy."

"Yeah, it's like flying feels for us pegasi," Hurricane mentions in happy agreement as she does a barrel roll in the air.

"Or us earth ponies with our leg force." Pudding Head called out, interjecting her two cents while jumping high a couple of times and then bucking the air. "It just feels really nice. Those little things in life."

"Exactly, and that was the purpose of this exercise dear." Platinum put her hoof on his chest. "Your soul might be human, but your body will always be a pony. Denying yourself the wonders of this world is like denying yourself breath; pointless and it will only hurt yourself. Do not be afraid to embrace what you are now and never lie to yourself. That is the trick to becoming a great spell caster." She explained as the unicorn used her magic to help him remove the bracelets on his legs and then took a step back. A small wave of magic was subsequently expelled from his body by the action, and the ex-prince looked down in surprise as he felt lighter and stronger than before.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Platinum asks with a smirk.

The Ronin can only nod as he looks back at them "Yeah, it does. I can't believe it, is this really my power?"

"It's still too early to go celebrating rookie," Hurricane remarked with a sly smile as she crosses her front hooves while hovering in the air. "Now that you understand how your body works, we can pass on to my special training."

"Your special training?" Blueblood regards her expression with no small amount of confusion.

"Did you really think I would let you leave this thing only just knowing how to use that bone growth on your head?" Hurricane inquired with a neutral expression. "I'll admit, having that can be useful, but Tartarus will freeze over before I let one of my students go out into the world without knowing how to hold a sword." She flatly states with determination.

"What are you talking about? I already know how to fight with a sword, we have been training for years now!" The prince answers.

She smirks at that comment. "Ha! You think that a wooden sword is the same as the real deal? I suggest you prepare for a wake-up call tomorrow." She warns the Ronin ominously before turning around. "But in the meantime, let's eat!" She yells out before dashing away.

"Ah...Should I be scared?" Blueblood asks the other two founders, honestly worried.

"Don't take her so seriously dear. Hurricane just wants you to be prepared for anything, just like us. You wouldn't want to repeat the events of your first duel, right?"

"No," The ex-prince confirms with equal part's anger and shame. "That fight is something I just want to forget as soon as possible."

"And that is why we are going to teach you how to fight using weapons."

"You too?" The Ronin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, mostly Hurricane," Platinum corrected herself, "But while that happens I'm more than happy to teach you everything I know about how to rule a country, proper etiquette and how to hunt down, identify and destroy any rebellion raised against you."

"Rebellion?" The prince questioned, confused.

"You think our tribes made peace and became friends only in one day?" Pudding questioned rhetorically, while her constant smile took on a hard edge. "Of course not silly, there were a whole bunch of stubborn ones that didn't want to play along, and as soon as the Windigoes disappeared, they wanted to go back to hating each other." She sighed in sadness. "Some even went way too far."

"Really? What happened?" Blueblood asked, genuinely curious, wanting to hear the story.

"Ah!" Pudding Head raises a hoof to stop him. "All in due time. For now, let's just eat." She grabs the prince and drags him towards the castle's grand hall before he could protest or even react to her actions. Once again he was surprised by how strong she indeed was.

Platinum only chuckled, and with a shake of her head, she followed them at her own pace.

"Clover was right, it is funny when you see that happen to someone else." She commented to herself, remembering all the times Pudding Head had dragged her around with infectious excitement so she could witness one of her most recent projects come to fruition.

The very next day, Hurricane didn't waste any time beginning her lessons and eagerly tossed Blueblood into the armory before walking inside and take a deep breath of satisfaction as she inspected the weapons.

"Oh, this takes me back." She then looks at Blueblood. "Drink it in Rookie, this is where the real magic is born," Hurricane informs her student, as she looks at him with a smile. "Don't be shy, come closer." She beckons to him with a head gesture before throwing a hoof around his neck. "Meet your new best friends." She informs the Ronin while gesturing all around the room all the while smiling at the weapons.

"My best friends?" He asks, confused by her word choice.

"Oh yes, now that your body is ready, we are going find your style." She explains before humming in thought "I would say…a claymore?" She suggests before approaching one of the many weapon racks, regarding its contents with a practiced eye before selecting a sword with a wide blade and aggressive crossguard that nearly as long as blueblood was tall while standing on his back hooves. Before passing it over to the prince without checking to see if he was ready for it. The prince to his credit did not drop the massive weapon but did nearly trip over it, barely managing to balance the weapon only to hear Hurricane call out. "A morning star?" She tosses him a stout length of wood and leather capped by a heavy ball of iron adorned with spikes. "A great ax? A lance? A katana?…maybe a sable?"

She continues to toss weapons at him before chuckling. "Oh, but what I'm worrying for? You are going to practice with all of them!"

"All of them?!" Blueblood asked in alarm balancing and juggling the weapons about his person like some form of caricature in his aunts garden.

"Yep, while Platinum teaches you how to drink tea and sit properly, and Pudding Head gives you history lessons. I will teach you how to be a real stallion!" She confirms with pride before picking an old rusty rapier, and give it a couple of swings in the air. "With how rusty and dull these things are, we will be relatively safe from injury while we continue to train and can focus on finding out what weapon suits you better. And don't worry about them breaking apart or give you tetanus. Discord modify them slightly so they keep their strength while maintaining their dullness and coated in a layer of unbreakable rubber, so they are basically really realistic harmless weapons." She demonstrated by hitting one against the wall a couple of times yet, it didn't break or leave a scratch on the wall, once done she stopped and regarded the ex-prince with a smile. "When using a weapon, it must always feel like putting on an old boot; comfortable and reliable.

She hands it over to Blueblood as he stares at it. "It must feel natural to wield, and most importantly," she pokes his side lightly causing him to almost lose his balance once again, "Something you can keep your balance with at all times."

"You sound really eager to teach me all of this." Blueblood chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Are you kidding?! I always love to train my boys personally. To help them find their style, to see how they improve on their own and become one with their weapon? It really brings a tear to this old mare's eyes." She confesses while holding a hoof to her chest. "And now after a millennium, I can do it all over again one more time! I'm so happy I can barely stand still!" She confirms while flying around the room.

"But the real fun will start once we've found the tool that suits you."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, once you are comfortable with your weapon, you can start thinking about how to use it. Do I swing for my opponents' legs to limit his mobility? Do I swing upward towards my opponents head and neck to end the fight quickly? Do I prefer a direct approach, advancing through my opponent's defenses? Or maybe I play a defensive game, wounding my enemy in increments to burn through their stamina and will to fight? Do I go with slow, purposeful and strong strikes or do I favor speed and mobility over power? There are just so many ways, methods and philosophies for how to fight and this is compounded even more when you bring in the variables of armed combat." She shows him the body of a sword. "Even what materials were used in the weapon's construction can play a factor in a fight."

"Wow, I didn't know that there were so many things to think about."

"Yeah, it's something huge, and important, It has to be. After all, knowing all this can be what determines you living or dying someday," it was then that the Pegasus Commanders expression turned furious. "And those two sacks of shit stomped all over the sanctity of a duel, and knowing all of these things- so you better teach him a lesson Rookie."

"Oh trust me, I will," He agrees with the Commander, equally enraged. "Those two stabbed me in the back, tossed me from my house and humiliated me in front of all of Canterlot. I will not be going easy on them!"

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear!" She tells with a sharklike grin on her face as she led him out of the armory, weapons now encased in an aura of magic.

"Now come on Rookie! To the dance floor!" She exclaimed in excitement.

Blueblood nodded and followed along his training resumed, except this time things were split between physical exercise with Hurricane who, as promised, taught him about the many different types of weapons in the world and the nature of combat, and regular etiquette and political lessons with Platinum and all sort of history lessons with Pudding Head who taught him about her adventures as a founder."

As the days went by, his abilities began to progress even further. Before he realized it, the Ronin was able to stand his ground against his teacher; his reactions were lighting fast. His counters were precise and lethal, and the moment he found out his weapon of choice, the sessions got even more intense and fastpaced. Yet the ex-prince was prepared for them, and just as Hurricane promised, his fighting style was complete.

That night, the prince rest soundly believed that he was ready to return home, yet the next morning the founders surprised him yet again with one final test before going back to Equestria.

"You want me to manufacture a completely new spell?!" Blueblood asked in astonishment as he stopped eating his breakfast with the founders of Equestria.

Platinum smiles and nods. "That is correct, dearie. Now that you have completed your introductory studies in politics and history, familiarize yourself with your latent magic. Not to mention having achieved a level of proficiency to be regarded as a master of hoof to hoof combat and your chosen weapon along with having learned how to wield a vast variety of weapons, it's time to pass to the final test, to unlock the inner potential of your cutie mark per se."

"My cutie mark?" Blueblood repeated before taking a glance at the mark on the side of his flanks. "You mean that this is not just to show what a pony's good at?"

"Technically speaking, yes, that is what it means, but I ask you; do you know or did anyone ever tell you what your specific talent was?"

Blueblood starts to think but can't remember a moment where either of his Aunts, Twilight or even the Cutie Mark Crusaders ever talked about his talent.

"No…I suppose I didn't. While I was in Ponyville, I was too focused on figuring out my situation. Then the Fort Knox incident happened, and afterward, there was the whole thing with the Masquerade party." Blueblood listed out to them before chuckling with some degree of embarrassment and a slight blush in his checks. "I suppose it just escaped my mind to ask."

"Ha, classic human mentality." Pudding Head chuckle as she shakes her head. "If a pony had said what you just did, everyone would be picking their jaws up off the ground from where they fell ."

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Blueblood asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter, the important thing is that you have one and its damn time you knew what the hay it represents," Hurricane stated flatly.

"Well, what is it?"

"Look at it closely Blueblood tell me, what do you…?"

"…Nope! We are not doing this." Hurricane interrupted Platinum before looking at Blueblood. "It a guiding magic star, and it means that you can explore the concept of magic and venture into the unknown with it!" She explained.

"Well, …thanks for ruining my moment of fun, Hurricane." Platinum glared at her in annoyance.

"It's a mark on one's flank! Why do you want to make a whole song and dance out of it? What's next? A complete opera and musical score for our tails?"

"Oh oh! Is it too late for me to audition?" Discord interjects, appearing from the teapot.

"Shut up Discord!" Both Platinum and Hurricane command him only for the three continue to bicker while Pudding Head addressed Blueblood who absorbed what he was just said.

"Explore the concept of magic itself? You mean, like Starlight and Twilight do?" Blueblood inquired though Pudding Head shook her head.

"Nope, those mares' specialty, is the knowledge and understanding of already known magic, what you have, is the capacity to invent brand new spells alongside discovering new forms and types of magic." She explained with a smile. "Isn't it great? You have a power that those two would kill to have."

"Wow, I mean that is too much." Blueblood mumbles, trying to absorb what they were saying.

"Well, you better get used it soon because that will be your final test," Hurricane tells him, bringing him back to reality.

"What?"

"If you think those sons of mules that stripped you of your title will play fair, think again. Leeches and brats like those; they have no morals whatsoever, they know and will use every single trick in the book. Trust me, as much as you try to make them play fair, they will find some way to turn the tables against you and stack the deck again. They are like pests, and unless you bring out the big guns, they will just keep coming back." She explains. "And there is only one way to deal with cheaters like those."

"By making them regret cheating in the first place," Blueblood answered, remembering their lesson.

"Ata boy!" Hurricane encouraged, pleased with him listening. "And what is the best way to make them regret it? Using that ingenious brain of yours, and throwing something at them that no pony has ever seen before." Hurricane explained with a wicked grin.

"Hurricane, you are drooling" Platinum cleaned her up before looking at him. "And putting the crude language aside, what Hurricane said is the reason you need to do this. Honey, we can prepare you for any eventuality but at the end of the day, even without cheating Jet Set alone is a graduate from the most prestigious magic school in the land in addition to being a master swordspony. If you wish to defeat him, you will have to make use of your unique abilities."

Blueblood nodded and closed his eyes. "I understand, and it makes sense when you say it. No matter how much I train myself, the truth of the matter is that Jet has the experience in magic duels and combat that I lack with only one beneath my belt. The odds are really against me."

"Oh don't worry Bluey, you'll be fine!" Pudding Head tells him. "I'm sure that whatever new spell you show us when you are done will be spectacular!"

"Show you?" Blueblood looked at her with a quirked eyebrow.

"That is correct dear," Platinum answers, "We have trained and prepared your mind and body as best as we can, but this is your cutie mark we are talking about. It something extremely personal, something only you can explore and unlock by yourself."

"So I have to create a new spell all by myself?" He asks incredulously.

"Precisely! Oh don't worry, we are still here for you. But now we will focus on teaching you about Equestrian politics, warfare, culture, social costumes, and diplomacy. But that is it, everything else will be up to you."

Hurricane groaned and puts her hooves on her face. "I completely forgot about that, can't we just leave all that junk to Celestia and Luna instead and just focus on regular training?"

"You want to help him by being his test subject?" Platinum asked her with a flat expression.

"…Best of luck Rookie," Hurricane informs Blueblood while placing her hoof over his shoulder and then dashing away.

"Wait! How do I even start?" Blueblood calls out. Still perplexed by what they were asking for.

"Oh, we have that covered too" Pudding answered as she takes the dirty plates from the table and starts to leave the room. "Discord... modified our library, to contain any book you want to read. You think it, and it will instantly appear on a shelf nearby. You can look for clues there."

"It was my pleasure." Discord interjects with a chuckle and an overly exaggerated and elaborate bow

"But I still don't think I'm ready for this," Blueblood insists, a bit insecure.

"There is nothing to be afraid of dear." Platinum assured him though. "I'm sure you can do something spectacular. You just need to think about this problem like a human would." She suggested as she left the room too. "That is something the human race loves to do, right? Find a problem and then solve it with that brilliant mind of yours." She tells him, inflating his ego a little as her steps are lost in the hallway.

_Like a human would_ Blueblood thought as his mind started to wander on what to do.


	45. Stepping Into The Unknown

**Stepping Into The Unknown**

"Aw! This is getting me nowhere!" Blueblood screamed in the library while pulling at his mane. Scattered all around were mountains of discarded books, paper drafts, crumbled or ripped pieces of parchment and a lot of ink and used feathers, leaving puddles everywhere. Following the advice of Pudding Head, the ex-prince locked himself inside the royal library and didn't waste any time before throwing him headlong into his research, investigating and planning out ideas on how to make a brand new spell. At first, he was eager and determined, but as time went by, all his attempts lead him into yet another dead end where somepony else had already invented it, or to find out that he was overcomplicating an already simple spell, or that it had already been investigated and found to be unsuitable or that he was basically making a blast or bomb spell with a different colored explosion.

After the fifth week, he stopped counting the days and practically moved into the library, taking advantage of every single free moment he could find between his research and his lessons. He simply stopped caring about how long it was taking him and just wanted to figure out something already, It was this lack of progress that only increased his frustration.

"Wow, defeated by a piece of paper." Looking up with a start, the Ronin saw Discord floating around in front of him while reading a simple children's book. "Now that is just sad," He says without looking at him as he turns the page.

"Did you came here just to tell me that?"

"No, I also wanted to tell you that I took pictures of all the times a spell blew up in your face," He quipped back to Blueblood with a smirk, making him sigh and look down.

"Well hope you had your fun."

"Oh I did, trust me." Discord then surprised the Ronin by appearing next to him and pulling him into a one-armed hug. "But all jokes aside, I was wondering if you would like some assistance with your problem."

"What are you suggesting?" Blueblood looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking, why not speed things along a little bit?" He suggested with a serious expression, before releasing the Ronin and gesturing into the air summoning two dolls with a startling resemblance to Jet Set and Upper Crust "Those two nobles also ruined Fluttershy's night out. Do you have any idea of how many nights we spent together, training so she wouldn't be so nervous?"

"You helped her practice how to be more confident?" Blueblood regarded Discord with no small amount of surprise.

"Of course I did, and everything was going swimmingly until those two nobles ruined that night. She even managed to score a kiss with a prince for pity's sake! I have already eleven jokes to tell her just with that!" He tells in indignation.

"Hehe, yeah that thing," Blueblood reminisced with a dreamy smile as he recalled how spontaneous that kiss was.

"And that is why I'm offering this once in a lifetime deal," Discord said with an evil smile, "What do you say if we team up and teach those party crashers a lesson? Just think of me as…" He suddenly turned into mist and swirled around Blueblood before disappearing. The Ronin watched as his mane grew out to a point where it nearly touched the floor, the blond leached itself out of the hairs until only a pale silver remained. A black leather jacket darker than night flowed around the prince, arraying itself to show a crossed pair of belts tightly wrapped into an X across his chest that connected to a pair of segmented iron pauldrons. The look was completed as a seven-foot-long odachi shimmered into existence in front of the prince. A single black wing burst forth out of the princes back spreading to cast a dark shadow over the two dolls. Discord's head soon extended out of the wing with a sly grin.

"…your wingman. What do you say? Interested?"

"Come on Discord." Blueblood stepped away, shaking his body to dispell the illusion cast by the Draconequus "Be serious, as tempting as that offer might be. Taking it would be reducing myself to their level. Plus it would be taking a shortcut, how would I ever be able to face my aunts if I did that?" The Ronin asked rhetorically before sighing and going back to read another book.

"You heard what the founders said. This is something I have to do on my own."

"And yet you keep trying to build upon and copy the notes of others." Discord pushes, as his face replaces the content in the book startling the Ronin, who tosses the book away until it bounced off of Discord's belly. "Come on Blue, where's your sense of chaos? The desire to explore the unknown? The curiosity of asking yourself: Why not?" Discord eagerly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Blueblood questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Think. Like. A. Human." Discord literally spelled it out, writing the words on a chalkboard.

"What do you think I have been doing?" Blueblood asked, defending himself.

"Oh? so the caveman that invented the wheel first checked the instruction manual?" Discord asked with his arms crossed. "I mean it is funny to think he did, but you really think that was how it happened?"

"Of course not, he…I, oooh!" Blueblood finally realized what Discord was getting at. "All I've been doing is wasting my time." He mumbled to himself.

"Well not completely; you made me laugh more than once." Discord chuckled holding the pictures of his failed attempts blowing up in his face. "Like when you turned your fur pink…or sprung elk antlers…oh and who could forget when you turned your tail into a dragon head!" Discord chuckled out loud, listing off Bluebloods failures.

"Yeah, ha, ha, hilarious." Blueblood snarked before turning around and started to leave the spirit of chaos to his own devices only to stumble across the book the spirit had been reading, a straightforward child's book whose title caught the Ronin's attention. His curiosity peaked once he learned that his aunt was in it.

"The mare in the moon?" He held the book in his hooves curiously before beginning to read. His movements becoming faster and faster as his interest was seized. One part of the tale always caught his attention in his readings. "Transformed herself into a wicked mare of darkness?" He asked out loud, catching Discord's attention.

"Wait, mare of darkness? Transformation?" Blueblood asked once more before looking at the picture of Nightmare Moon and then realizing who she was as he looks at it in sorrow. "Aunt Luna..."

The Ronin then turned around and dashed to where Discord is. "Discord! This, this part right here!"

"What? What of it?" Discord inquired, confused by Blueblood's reaction as the Ronin tackled him to the ground and puts the book in front of the spirit before pointing at the picture of his aunt. "The transformation part, my aunt. What exactly happened? How exactly did it happen? You must know it, right?"

"Yeah, I know, as well as everypony else in Equestria knows." Discord agreed. Breaking apart and reforming in front of him before cleaning himself from the dust. "Lulu got jealous of Sunbutt, they got into an argument, things escalated, and before you know it, she changed."

"Yeah, that is what I don't get it. How did she do it? I mean, are all alicorns able to transform? What is the process behind it? Is this like that rage burst thing? Is it linked to their emotions? Maybe it's connected to their celestial bodies? I have so many questions." He states while pacing back and forth in front of Discord.

The spirit simply shrugged in response and floated around before conjuring and eating an apple. "Nobody is completely sure. There are theories of course. I mean your aunts have the power to move and create the day and night all by themselves, so letting loose all of that at once maybe invoked it, I don't know, it's one of Equestria's greatest mysteries." He states while reverse eating the apple.

"And no pony has ever been able to transform ever since?" Blueblood asks confused.

He looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "No, I don't believe anyone else has become a pony of darkness, or if it is even possible, why?" He asked with a hint of worry creeping into his voice.

"Then maybe…" Blueblood thought hard for a moment before returning to the stacks of books, retrieving one off a shelf before rapidly flipping through the pages and stopping at one in particular. "Aha! There here is. Now let see…good, it's not that hard." He exclaims in glee as he circles part of the page using a feather and ink, not noticing that his cutie mark was starting to shine, as he memorized the spell and walked away.

Intrigued, Discord looks at what Blueblood circled, and got suspicious. "The first spell Swarswirl the Bearded invented to move celestial bodies? Didn't you hear anything I said? A) You are copying something that has already made, and B) You need at least 7 skilled unicorns to perform it!"

"I not going to move the sun or the moon," Blueblood explains as he moves some pillars around until he improvised an altar. "I just need half the spell, particularly the part that connects your magic with the object."

"The object in this case been the sun?" He asks confused.

"The moon actually." the stallion turns around and smiles. "I'm going to figure out how my aunt did it. And if it is linked to the moon, Starswirl's spell will be a perfect way to start my tests" He continued eagerly "Plus, I'm intrigued, this Nightmare Moon character is basically Daybreaker but in my aunt Luna, right?"

"Well yeah, in a way."

"So there is a chance that this transformation ability is a family thing. If true, then maybe as their blood relative, there's a chance I could do the same thing, if I overcharge myself."

"Woah, woah, woah." Discord appears in front of him "You are telling me. That you plan to connect and synchronize your magic with the moons, so to see if that can transform yourself into a stallion of darkness, all because of a hunch that it might be something that you inherited, and the only reason why you can't at the moment is because you don't have enough magic?"

"More or less yeah, and for that, I need to test my theory. And if this astrology book is accurate..." He shows Discord the book in question, "My aunts had moved it for so long, and so many times that it's become its own self sustaining magic source. So if I'm wrong, I could still gain an extra external power supply to draw from. One rather large and powerful magic supply…one that I could use to overcharge and overpower Jet Set with until he can't take anymore" Blueblood mumbled starting to think of possibilities "What happen if a horn is an overcharged with external magic?"

"It explodes" Discord answer "But no pony has ever done this before, we don't even know if it is safe, or what would happen! "

"Yep," Blueblood agreed and then sat down,

"But why go to such lengths? You could think of something else? The only thing that is limiting you is your own imagination? Why do you want to transform into something like this?" He asks picking the book and pointing at the image of Nightmare Moon.

"Part of it is because I'm intrigued how it happens, the other is…well, growing up I was always fascinated with the idea of transforming. Breaking your limits and become something more powerful and cool. I know it's childish of me but, the idea of having a transformation fills me with excitement. So, you want to help me?"

"Are you kidding? This is reckless, potentially dangerous, with a meager chance of success and impossible to predict what would happen? What are we waiting for? Of course, I will help! This is exactly what I was talking about." Discord exclaimed with a giant smile in his face.

"Pure chaotic, human way of thinking. What do you want me to do?"

"Well," Blueblood scratched the back of his head with some embarrassment, "For this to work I obviously need to work at night, so it would help if this room has that condition all the time. But I'm not so sure if it isn't even possible for you to…"

"Done!" Discord snapped his fingers, and everything became night time around him. "By the way, the spirit of chaos! If it makes no sense? Of course, I can do it." He says, slightly irked by being doubted.

"Discord, please tell me that you didn't just take away my aunt's night," Blueblood asked terrified of the implications of what Discord just did.

"Relax I only took a small chunk of it, she won't notice." Discord assured him with a dismissive wave of his paw.

Meanwhile out in a small sector of the wastelands

A rather confused lizard looked at the sky which suddenly became dawn while everything around his location was still the middle of the night.

Back at the castle

"Now let's start this show!" Discord stated with anticipation.

"Ok, but I should warn you, this spell requires concentration and silence so things might get really boring pretty fast," Blueblood warned as he sat in the middle of a ritual circle while facing the full moon, then closed his eyes to start meditating. the Ronin's horn began to shine before it sparked and sent him flying, crashing down into his pile of books.

"Well, maybe it won't be so boring after all," Discord said with a chuckle, "Are you ok Blue?"

"Note to self, the moon has an enormous amount of magic on its surface. So do not rush pulling it in all at once, just give me a minute Discord. I will be there as soon as the room stops spinning and the air stops tasting purple." Blueblood responded, making the spirit chuckle and shake his head. "Better put a healing dome too just in case." He mumbled as Blueblood soon returns and starts all over again.

As time went by, the ex-prince confined himself in the library wholly, dedicating his full attention to perfecting the spell and testing his theories, forgoing all other studies and activities. Succeeding in finding out new ways and methods to use his raw magic, with the aid of the moon.

By maintaining the charge in his horn, he figured out a way to manipulate and control his aura. Succeeding in creating a method to give himself hands at the ends of his hooves. They took the form of a durable magical, construct that looked much like knights vambraces.

By covering his entire body in magic and then aiming, he discovered a new type of teleportation that allows him to send a projection of his body anywhere, that upon contact exploded in a wave of electricity. The charge was not particularly lethal, but with enough energy, it could paralyze and disorient an opponent for a brief couple of seconds. And by sacrificing the lower half of its body and reduce its side, he succeed in launch them at the speed of a bullet, making them seeking micro missiles

And finally, by focusing his energy in his throat, he managed to convert a simple whistle into a sonic cannon capable of shattering stone, with the drawback of leaving his throat sore afterward.

All of these had been small victories that the ex-prince took particular pride in, yet his main objective still seemed far off. Despite that, the ex-prince found new vigor and kept marching forward, determined to finish this spell. At first, Discord took joy in his failures, as he was recording them all, but when Blueblood started to limit his brakes to eating, sleeping and bathroom necessities, the spirit of Chaos began to worry. Soon, even he was expelled from the library, and Blueblood was indeed left alone to finish his work.

Breathing heavenly, the Ronin, lay limp in the ground after yet another attempt failed. His body was begging him to stop as sparks flew from his horn erratically.

_Come on!_

He slammed a hoof into the floor in frustration before looking back to the book that started it all.

_What am I doing wrong?_

He mentally asked himself as he stared at the picture of Nightmare Moon before sighing and looking at it again with sadness as he passes his hoof over her face.

"It must have been a horrifying experience, right Auntie?" He lightly chuckled as he talked to himself. "One can only wonder and fear, what thoughts of jealousy and anger were coursing through your mind that ni…"

His eyes widened at the revelation. "Emotions." He says out loud before stumbling back to the circle. _That is what I was missing! Starswirl said to clear my mind, but that is to move, not to connect, I need to use my heart instead of my head!_

He was about to start the spell once again but stopped and took a deep breath, then closed his eyes.

_Calm down, and don't overthink it._

Blueblood instructed himself as he slowly started all over again, picturing the moon in his head and then his aunt Luna, bringing a smile on his face as he recalled all the moments he spent together with her.

_I love you, Auntie… _

A tear fell from his eye as the wind started to swirl around him.

_The night is more than just darkness and terror, it about peace…about discovering hidden wonders… It's about dreams and hopes. The night is the beauty of exploring the unknown. That is what you wanted to show them, right aunt Luna?_

The Ronin smiled as his cutie mark lit up once more, and he started to feel his body filling with magic. The objects around him began to levitate and orbit around. His eyes snapped open glowing white with arcane power. Before him, he could see the silhouette of Nightmare Moon with eyes made of white light staring right at him with a neutral expression, judging.

The prince smiled and closed his eyes once more "I'm not afraid" He quietly informs the silhouette making a small smile of light appear on her face before it took a step closer, engulfing him in a purple mist that starts to spin and shine with a dim light, creating the illusion of an egg, with Luna's cutie mark in the center of it. The objects start to orbit faster, reaching a fever pitch as thunder flashed within and without the egg as it began to pulse. The storm soon hit some shelf sending papers flying all around the ex-prince, as the egg floated up to the middle of the room.

While all of that was happening, the founders and Discord were at the entrance, debating whether or not they should enter and utterly unaware of the storm inside.

"Ok, I going in," Hurricane states in exasperation as she approaches the library entrance, only for Platinum to stop her.

"Hurricane no! We can't get in his way. This is something he needs to solve alone!"

"It has been 3 months already! I think he's had enough time!" She argued back. "Come on girls, don't you think that maybe we went a bit too far? He was ready and eager to go back home when I was done with him." She explained. "If he is not ready, then it's fine we can always think on some other…where is Pudding Head?" Hurricane asks quickly when she notices the absence of both her and Discord and when looking back, she saw them both opening the door.

"Wait!" Platinum tried to stop them, but it was too late as they walked inside only to be blasted back by a wave of magic that knocks everyone off their hooves.

"What is going on?" Platinum asks after recuperating from the blast and shaking her head to clear it, her companions soon doing the same.

"My most sincere apologies, dear founders." The voice of Blueblood caught them all off guard as they all look up to the libraries entrance seeing a sliver of pure night within. Bluebloods silhouette calmy approaching them while completely concealed in shadow. "It appears that my spell took more time to master than that I originally thought." The chamber gradually got brighter. When Blueblood finally stepped out into the hall they could see that his entire body was smoking and he had some bags under his eyes, but it was his grinning face of victory that they all noticed first. "But now it is finally completed, and if I may ask, is there anything else you wish to teach me before we depart?"

++Stop the music.++

The founders blinked a couple of times before shaking their heads in a no.

"Great, in that case, would you mind if I rest for the day? So we can then depart tomorrow?"

"Ah…I don't see why not?" Platinum answered for her and her companions.

"Thank you, dear founder." Blueblood gives them a small bow before heading to his room.

"Wait!" Pudding Head called out from behind him.

"Yes?" Blueblood looks back to see her.

"Before you go tell us, what was the result? Did you transform? Or did you just get a massive battery?" She asks with wonder, the others matching her expression as they all wanted answers. To their surprise, Blueblood only chuckled and shook his head. "Oh founder, as much as I would love to indulge you with an explanation, I'm exhausted. So I beg of you if you let me rest I will gladly tell my findings on our way back to Equestria. I would also be more than happy to give you a practical demonstration of my accomplishments on my dEaR fRiEnD Jet Set." He informs her with a small glare as his eyes flash white and for an instant his voice took on a demonic echo, startling the founder.

just as quickly Blueblood returned to normal and smiled. "For now, I really would like to retire to my bedchambers, good night fair maidens. Sir Discord." He gives them a polite courtly bow once again before leaving.

"Well, …at least my lessons of etiquette have been paying off." Platinum tells proudly by her work.

"Yeah, well just don't let that get to your head," Hurricane mentioned with a quick roll of her eyes as they all go to their rooms minus Pudding Head who looked at Discord still staring at the library.

"Are you coming Discord?"

"In a second, I'm just admiring our student's handy work." He tells with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" She asks confused until she peeks inside the room and sees just how completely demolished it was. It looked like an explosion without fire just ripped through in the middle of it.

"Wow." Pudding head mentioned, impressed by the level of destruction. "Our colt is ready."

Suddenly a lightbulb blinked into existence over Discord with a ding before he grabbed it and started to chew on it thoughtfully. "Not quite, there is just one little detail missing."

"Really? What?"

"A graduation gift!" He proclaimed before looking back at Pudding Head. "See you tomorrow, oh, and maybe someone should do something about those guards at the entrance." He suggests before snapping his fingers and then disappearing.

"Sure I will look into…wait, what guards?" She asked herself in alarm.

The next day

Stretching his body, Blueblood welcomed the morning sun with a smile. "God it feels so good to have a good nights sleep." He tells himself.

"Well, someone is a good mood." Platinum smirked as she and the founders approached the prince, all of them forgoing their usual outfits and were instead sporting 3 hooded cloaks with Pudding Head passing an extra one to him, along with some saddlebags.

"Ah good morning, Chancellor, Commander, Princess." Blueblood greeted them. "Can you blame me? Today we return home. Sure it will be hard to explain and a bit weird when I'm returning with the 3 founders of Equestria, but it still will still be great to go back."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Rookie, this isn't over yet." Hurricane reminded him. "You still remember the plan?"

"Yes, we will lay low, see how bad everything is in the country, and fix the biggest problems we can find, before heading to Canterlot," He repeats back to them with a nod as he pulls the hood up on the cloak that the Chancellor had given him.

"Good, in that case, let's go!"

"But before that..." Discord calls out behind them appearing out of thin air while holding a wooden box, surprising everyone. "I have a parting gift." He offered the box to Blueblood.

"Ah…thanks?" Blueblood takes the box unsure by his actions. "What is it?"

"Just a little something, for all the fun you four gave me." He tells with a smile. When opened, Blueblood was surprised to find a single crown made of silver for his head. Beneath the crown lay a matched pair of broadswords, each blade sheathed in a rich black leather and wood scabbard that was looped through by a sturdy belt with silver metal accents. Carefully removing the weapons, Blueblood took note of the D ring guard and blade catches that perfectly matched with the belt and crown. Carefully gripped the blackwood handle and removed one of the swords from its resting place. He noted the black wavy pattern in the dark metal and which turned to a gleaming silvery edge.

"Wow Discord, I…I don't know what to say? You made them?" Blueblood asks, fully unsheathed the blade and held it easily in his hoof eying that same silvery edge as it terminated into a sharp point. Then gave the blade a careful flourish to test its weight and balance. He was pleased to find that it was nimble and easy to maneuver in the hoof. Sheathing the blade back into its scabbard and the prince buckled the swords on with practiced ease before drawing forth the blade with blinding speed to stand on guard. Noting how easy and natural it was to do so. His training paid off as he was able to hold and move so freely with these new additions.

"Since when are you are a blacksmith?" Hurricane questioned Discord with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh Hurricane dear, do you think I could do something as orderly and refined as those two beauties?" He answers with a chuckle. "No, I didn't make them…buuut I do happen to know an excellent blacksmith that made them from me using an excellent material." He confides in them with an evil smirk.

"Discord, what did you used for the metal?" Hurricane asks with some worry, making the Draconequus giggle. " Just the remains of Nightmare Moon's Adamant armor." He answers honestly.

"The what?" Everyone looked at the spirit of Chaos in surprise.

"Well, if he is going to fight to recover his honor and his title of prince, I think it fitting that he used a family heirloom, don't you agree?"

"I suppose so," Blueblood answered as he held the swords in the sky. He could feel the metal, warm and calm in his hoof, despite being associated with such terrifying mare, the prince didn't feel afraid of it. In a way, it made him feel secure. "they're perfect, thank you Discord. Really"

"Aren't you going to put on the crown too?" He offers said object in anticipation.

"Not yet, I want to earn it fair and square. The symbolic implication of putting it on after beating Jet Set is just too delicious." He tells in excitement. "Oh but you can bet your bottom bit I'm going to use these beauties though!" Blueblood drew his other sword and steps away from the group before falling into his preferred guard poised to move, attack or defend before weaving his way through a dancing pattern of flashing steel, punishing blows, solid guards and deft movements, familiarizing himself with the weapons that were quickly growing to be his favorites.

When the Ronins improvised drill ended, Hurricane chuckled and shakes her head. "You know Rookie, it's customary to name your weapon once you found your ideal one." She mentions. "Why not make it official and gave them proper names."

"Oh! May I suggest perhaps Loki and Eris?" Discord suggested.

Blueblood for his part laughed and shook his head. "Thanks for the idea, but I think I know what to call them." He stares at his swords in contemplation. "I think I will call them…Llamrai and Hengroen*."

"Llamrai and Hengroen? Hmm, I suppose it fitting giving your origins." Platinum commented "Let go with that" She smiled and then turned to the entrance. "Now come along dear, there's a long trip ahead of us, and we still need to free those soldiers Celestia send to find you." She stated conversationally while charging her horn.

"Wait, my aunt did what?" Blueblood looked back at her in confusion.


	46. Blueblood, Joke Prince Or The Real Deal?

**Blueblood, A Joke Prince Or The Real Deal?**

"But…but this is my grandma's sewing machine! Please, this is the only thing I have left! Please don't take this!" Coco Pommel pleaded, hugging her family treasure tight while tears streamed from her eyes. Yet the two stallions that had come early in the morning simply shrugged and grinned. One, using his magic, yanked the object away from her. This was how things had, unfortunately, devolved all over Manehattan. Thanks to the power vacuum in the criminal underworld that resulted from Fort Knox's arrest, multiple, lesser criminals rose to power and lept into violent turf-wars to assert their dominance. Everywhere in the streets, at all hours of the day and night, brutal skirmishes would erupt between groups to see who would rise up above the others to take control as Fort had done.

"No!"

Consequently, the crime rate skyrocketed in a matter of a few short days, despite the best efforts of the police force and even with the support of the royal guard stationed in the city. There simply was not enough. When the forces of law and order would crack down in one area, two hotspots would flare up due to the lack of police presence. For every police raid, two more gang attacks would be directed at the officers themselves in retaliation. Some larger, more successful crime bosses began to leverage their position within the cities new order to demand payment for 'protection' in their territories. They would easily bleed dry anyone unfortunate enough to live in their areas with a smile on their faces before tossing them out into the dangerous streets and the bosses gained more territory.

"Sorry, miss Pommel, but you understand, right? These are some tough times. With Canterlot on lockdown and the Equestria's economy hitting rock bottom. You never know when somepony will break into your apartment and steal everything you own. Wouldn't it be better to just pay up front for security, so that doesn't happen?" He tells her with a light chuckle as she openly wept.

"But you are already have taken everything!" She bawled out, laying on a wooden floor in what had once been her home, now foreclosed. The two stallions were now in possession of everything she ever owned. "If you are even taking my supplies and materials, how I'm supposed to work or even pay you next month?"

"Not our problem miss, you should have thought about that, before buying such cheap posse~SIONS!" as the thug turned to leave, both he and his partner were yanked into the air and hung there choking for breath with their hooves scrambling to find purchase on something. There were suspended by a powerful aura of magic and could only hang there for a moment before being forced to turn around and face four hooded figures that had made themselves known.

"Normally I would try to defuse the situation with dialogue first, but today has been a particularly long day, so I will keep it short. Yes, I know who you are. Yes, I know who your BOSS is, I'll be going after him next, and please spare me the 'you will regret this and that' speech; you'll be the fifth pair of goons who have told me that. Now out!" a male voice commanded, and before the pair could even protest, both were launched out of the building through an open window and into the streets.

Once they recovered their breath, they glared back. "You don't know the mistake you just made, I will personally make you-AH!" The goon barely dodged a blast of magic and turned to see a small squad of guards in full battle armor in the entrance of another building. The lead one of which had a telltale swirl of smoke dancing about his horn while others in the squad made ready to do battle. Unicorn horns glowed ominously, pegasus wings unfurled and one particularly burly specimen of an earth pony stallion bent his riot baton in anticipation for the fight to come as they began to close in on the goons. The pair of thugs shared a quick glance and immediately reached an understanding, this was a fight they could not win, and they both knew what to do in that situation. You ran, as fast and hard as you could, which is precisely what they did.

The hooded pony let out a sigh and groaned once they are gone. "I swear if I have to hear 'I will make you pay' one more time…' "He stopped before looking to Coco Pommel who had crawled into a corner and stayed there shaking like a leaf when everything started. Slowly, the stallion approached her, but that only made her flinch and tremble even more. "NO! Please, just take everything and leave me alone, please don't hurt me!" She pleaded in pure terror until she heard the voice of the stallion.

"We are not here to hurt you, Coco."

"Huh? w-ww-Wha?" Looking up, Coco saw how the stallion pulled off his hood to reveal a weather-worn, and slightly muddy Blueblood, sporting a mullet and some coarse facial hair on his chin.

"We're here to help."

She sniffled a couple of times before launching herself at him and hugs him tightly. "Your Highness!" she cried out before renewing her sobs.

"Wow, hey! Easy there." Blueblood complained, not prepared for this reaction.

"I was So scared! those ponies have tormented everypony on the block for weeks, I really thought I was going to lose everything!" She croaked out to him in between sobs, not able to contain her emotions anymore.

"Looks like we have another hugger," Hurricane remarked, revealing her face as well.

After hearing her, the ex-prince smiled and returns Coco's hug, letting her emotions run there course, occasionally patting her back and whispering comforting words to comfort her. "There, there. It all over now, everything will be fine real soon."

Once she recovered, Coco let him go and cleaned her face a little. "B–but your highness, how are you going to…?"

He silenced her by lifting his hoof. "Before I explain, perhaps it would be better if you stopped calling me that. Remember I lost my title; I'm no longer a prince."

"Told you that they will keep calling you that!" Pudding Head grinned as she revealed her face too. She, as well as her friends, decided to accompany Blueblood into the city without their usual attire, in an attempt to not attract too much attention.

Coco could only blink as Blueblood sighed while the mare next to him chuckled at all that was happening. She was sure that she had never seen any of the mares with the Prince and yet, there was something very familiar about them. Something that she couldn't put her hoof on.

"Coco?"

She snapped back to reality when Blueblood asked her name. "S-sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking, where do you want us to put all your stuff?" He inquired while levitating a coffee table and some fabrics back inside the apartment, his friends doing pretty much the same.

"Oh, dear! Your Highness please you don't need to do…"

"Please, we insist," He told her with a smile. "Besides, you'll need your equipment for the favor I need to ask of you."

"Favor?" She asks, confused.

The ex-prince face split into a crooked grin as he looked back at her "I have a plan to take back the city from those rats that overstayed their welcome. And for that, I will need your help."

"M-my help?! B-But I'm just a tailor!" She tells in shock. "What can I possibly do of help?"

"You'll see." Platinum answered with a sing-song voice and an impish grin as they keep unpacking all her stuff back inside.

Later that day, and with the help of Coco, the ex-prince held a clandestine meeting with the ponies that they have been rescuing all day long. All of them were eager to hear the plan he had in store. They were all dumbfounded though when instead of laying out a masterful plan leading to their liberation, the ex-prince all but prostrated himself before them pleading for their assistance.

"Please, help me save Manehattan." He asks them politely as he held his head low.

"Now wait a minute here, lad." An old stallion approached him with a glare. "You are telling us that you came from who knows where, and beat the living daylights out of our tormentors, AND gathered us all here…just to ask for our help to solve the problem YOU started?"

"That is precisely the long and short of it, yes," Blueblood answered as he looks back at them with some shame. "I will not lie, or make excuses. Corrupt or not, apprehending Fort left a gaping void in the city that caused this problem. And because I was too busy planning a party, I personally contributed to letting this situation become this bad. I can't take back all the harm that you have suffered, but I can make sure it ends."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"The only way I know how," He tells them in confidence. "By crippling them, all of them, beyond recovery. I'm going to make them regret that they ever had the slightest thought about hurting all of you." He declared before sighing before looking at them again. "But I can only do this if you let me help. I know I'm asking a lot, but in order for me to defeat them, I will need you to entrust all of your businesses and assets to me."

The room exploded into a cacophony of jeers, shouts, and insults as everyone voiced their displeasure at once and glared daggers at the ex-prince, who remained silent and calm. Letting them vent their frustration in peace. Coco kept alternating between looking at him and her friends and neighbors. Once the commotion died down, the prince spoke again. "I'm not asking you to hand them over permanently, I'm just asking you to let me... borrow them... I need acting authority. "

"Absolutely, not!" One mare snapped. "It wasn't enough that you ruined Canterlot, now you are here after my flower shop?! Have you no shame, or do you really think we are that stupid?"

"My family has run our storage business for six generations! Tartarus will freeze before we gave it to some snobbish brat that doesn't know how businesses work!"

"Guys..." Coco tried to speak, but she was drowned out by the volume of the protests.

"You say you want to fix your mistakes, but then you came here and simply ask us to just hoof over everything. Everything that remains of our livelihoods? Of our lives? How is that any different from what those ruffians have done so far?"

"Guys..." Coco tried again.

"At least those criminals were honest when they were robbing us, you are treating us as fools thinking we're just going to hoof over all that you wish, just because you asked!"

"GUYS!" Coco yelled, finally getting everyone's attention. "What would it matter?" She pleaded with them while walking towards the Prince before addressing her friends. "Have you forgotten what all those criminals have been doing to us? They tell us that we are being protected but what will be the point of paying them if we keep losing everything we own? This morning I almost lost the last of my possessions, and that was possibly the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sure more than one of you almost went through the same thing, just today."

Everyone looked down, not particularly wanting to make eye contact or relive the memories.

"Our Prince is just asking for a favor from us, something to save us from this nightmare. Maybe I don't understand it completely, and I think it's a big risk, especially considering everything that he has done, but what other choice do we have? We might lose everything tomorrow when we can't pay with anything else, or worse they will take all that we have built and twist it into something horrible, or just burn it all down for laughs. I don't know you, but I would rather put my business in his hoofs when he asks nicely than let a bunch of strangers take it for themselves by force." She stood firmly by his side.

"I swear I will return them. Better than ever even, I might never earn your forgiveness for all I have done, but I have to try, and that's why I'm asking you. Trust me with this one." He pleaded once more, lowering his head until it touched the ground. "Please, give me a chance to redeem myself."

The room remained dead silent until the elder stallion from earlier groaned and shook his head before holding up a hoof "One chance, Blueblood, ONE." He threatened him. "And just because Coco has a point. I'd rather go swinging than show my belly to the manticore. You think you can beat the stuffing out of those ruffians. Break their snouts for me."

"You better take good care of my flowers." The mare reluctantly agreed.

"We stock every Tuesday, I will hunt you down if you try to skip your duties." Another stallion agreed as one by one they all acquiesced to his request.

"Everypony, Everyone, thank you." He bowed to them in gratitude. "Now, as for the plan. It will be tricky, but if we are working together, I guarantee that we will get rid of all those thugs in no time. But first, we will have to flush them out with a bait that they can't help but chase after" The Prince-in-exile informed them with a smirk as he gestures for everyone to come closer.

Some days later, using some deft, morally dubious but nonetheless legal, business tactics, the ex-prince was able to not only save every pony from the economic red line but kick start their sales and skyrocket their enterprises of to profitability in record time.

"This…this is impossible," Coco said still in shock as her business kept booming, not only hers but every single enterprise that lent a hoof to Blueblood scheme seemed to be coming back to life in a matter of weeks. Soon, a district that was on the verge of bankruptcy was blooming into a series of economic powerhouses in their respective fields.

She turned to Blueblood who at the time was reading through some papers with a neutral expression, she couldn't help but feel a bit confused and sad. He wasn't expressing it, but she could feel his discomfort.

"Ah, Prince? Blueblood?" She asks in worry. "Is everything ok?"

"Hmm?" He turns to her. "O-oh yeah, yeah everything is fine is just…this is something really hard for me." He mutters out in shame.

"You mean because you are putting yourself as bait?" She asks in worry.

"What? Oh, no! I'm not scared of that, is just, that being a business stallion is kind of hard for me."

"What are you talking about? You are doing a magnificent job! At this rate, you could solve the economic crisis in Equestria with one hoof tied behind your back!" She encouraged him with a playful tone, "There is nothing to worry about."

"That is only because you don't know the other side of the coin," Blueblood mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, things are going well, and we haven't heard of any other gangs operating in the open for a while. That means that the crime bosses must be getting ready for their next move."

"And what is it?" Coco asks him.

At that moment, a mixed group of griffins and unicorns burst in and started to raise hell, tossing around everything they could find to get everyone's attention. "Ok, who is the sack of shit that is causing all of this? Who thinks that he can mess with us?" A unicorn pony yells like a typical mafia goon.

"Intimidation by show of force." Blueblood sighed in resignation. "Right on cue." He then turned to Coco, "You might want to close your eyes for this part, it might get scary." He mentioned before walking toward the goons.

"Gentlestallions!" He greeted them with a smile.

"Why?" Coco asks but then flinches when her question is answered by Blueblood levitating all the criminals with his magic. She then covered her eyes just as he slammed them into the floor. "So glad you finally visit," Blueblood continued in a cheery voice before all signs of pleasantness fell off of the ex-prince's face, "I have a message for your bosses." He then grabbed a pair of shoes and leaped at them.

_What is he doing? There is no way that those industrial boots will fit in...oh._ Coco thinks, taking a peek from behind her hoofs before covering her eyes once more, shocked at what happened.

_Ok…I stand corrected._

The next day, like clockwork, a reward for Blueblood's head had been placed, in response to this, everyone, guardspony, royal guard and civilian alike, went on the offensive. Launching a massive push back sweeping through the city with a massive cleansing campaign to rid themselves of their foe. They hit all of the gangs and the dominant crime boss's where it hurt the most, using all of the unique tricks and skills that they had their disposal. The amount on Blueblood's head only increased as time went on.

~At 35,000,000 bits~

Groups of criminals tried to assassinate the ex-prince in the dead of night by breaking into the building he was known to be using as a home, only to find an empty room enshrouded in inky darkness. The only light came from a single naked bulb in a hanging lamp, illuminating a single chair with some puddings illuminated by the flickering light. When approaching said treats the would-be assassins froze when all the lights snapped on, and the criminals found themselves without their tools and weapons and inside a jail cell.

"Surprise!" Pudding called from behind them, and when they turned, they watched in horror as the mare slammed shut the reinforced door before trotting away humming a tune and twirling a key around her hoof. Leaving them for the police to come and collect them.

~At 50,000,000 bits~

Thugs and assassins tried to ambush any pony associated with the ex-prince in alleyways, only to be counter ambushed by cops and guards, and if they were really unlucky, they found themselves facing Hurricane alone.

"Oh, what is this? Twenty against little ol' me? That's just not fair…for you." They flinched when they saw the wicked grin she was sporting along with a blood-crazed gleam in her eye. Soon they regretted their decision five times more as five minutes later when they all staggered out of the alley and made best speed towards the nearest police pony, begging and pleading to be locked in a cell, or an asylum, or a trunk. Anywhere where that crazy mare couldn't get to them.

"Aw, no pony wants a second round?" Hurricane asks, emerging from the alleyway. All the thugs shuddered and hid behind the nearest policepony.

~At 75,000,000 bits~

Beyond furious one gang tried to kidnap any pony that handed over their businesses to Blueblood out in broad daylight on the open streets, only to find themselves covered in honey each time they tried to snatch one.

"What is this?" One of them asked, confused, and disgusted by the substance.

"Release the fire ants!" They looked around, trying to locate the ex-prince before howling in pain as they were swarmed by the dreadful insects.

~At 90,000,000~

Crooked cops and corrupt politicians stepped in and tried to frame the elusive Prince-in-exile, only to be stopped by a squad of guards carrying out an arrest order for them.

"This is preposterous?! For what? You have nothing on me!"

"Actually they do~" Platinum countered, appearing with two guards and a photo of them receiving bribes from her in disguise.

"You…you set me up!"

"Don't hate the player, hate the game, dear." She replied with a calm smile.

"You miserable, little whorse I'm going…!" He stopped abruptly and began to choke when Platinum stuffed a bar of soap in his mouth.

"Launguage~" She scowled at him while patting his head as hoof cuffs were slapped on the pony. "Just because you are going to jail doesn't mean you can act like a brute in front of a lady."

Her actions had the additional effect of paralyzing all of the illegal trafficking taking place in the city. Striking a lethal blow to the bank accounts and resources of the dwindling crime lords.

~At 100,000,000~

Enraged beyond all belief, the five remaining crime syndicates called for a truce and planned to join forces to send out one final, massive attack towards the stallion that ruined all of their business enterprises, Blueblood. But when they reached the residential district.….

"Over here!" Blueblood called out, escaping through a tunnel.

"Get him!" One yelled, and they all started firing magic bolts and arrows at him entering the tunnel.

"Nope over here!" He echoed out from behind a corner, and they proceed deeper into the tunnel.

"Here!" Another turn.

"Almost!" They saw his silhouette.

"Come and catch me!"

They were all apoplectic with rage, but when they reached the end of the tunnel, all of them were poofed into toys and fell to the ground with various squeaks, clanks, and whistles. Taking a moment to gather themselves in their new forms they stopped to look up at a smirking Discord standing behind Blueblood and an army of toddlers. Said army consisted of youngsters from all creatures; ponies, griffins, and even yaks with their mothers. "Look, kids! New toys!"

Discord removed their exit as the ex-prince sent in the preschoolers, who descended on them like a pack of jackals, making all the now toy goons scream like fillies.

"500,000,000,000 bits! Right. Now." Said a crime boss, a unicorn with grey fur and black mane. A scar on his left eye and an elegant blue business suit asked in person to one of his associates in complete desperation.

"You get him yourself!" The goon replied before running away.

End of song

And so finally, the crime bosses of the five shattered syndicates were forced into a meeting to discuss what to do.

"What the hay is the meaning of this?!" The unicorn demanded while stomping on a piece of a newspaper. "There is no way that, that... pompous brat is giving us this much trouble on his own! One of you is helping him, isn't it? You! Your all traitorous snakes, I would have your heads for this!" waving a hoof towards the other bosses. Most of them took the insult in stride but one, in particular, a minotaur, sitting across from the unicorn boss snorted in disdain.

"Likely story, pony." the minotaur countered as he stood up and rose to his full height picking up a massive battleaxe that was leaning on the table next to him. "I find it very convenient that the only pony here is attacking the rest of us for being traitors; your whole species are nothing but a bunch of spineless sheep that can't do anything without your oh so mighty princesses anyway. Who is to say that you are not a mere puppet of the bratty Prince, eh?"

"Nucklehead has a point there." A griffon with the attributes of a panther and falcon commented while munching on an apple slice that he carved off with a knife. "Besides, he is simply too stupid to think of betraying us."

"Yeah…hey!"

"Enough!" An anthropomorphic tiger stabbed the table that was in front of all of them with a dagger before addressing the others. "We are here to talk and figure out how to solve this mess, not bicker like a bunch of pussies looking for prom dates." He glared at them.

"Hmph, who died and make you the leader?" A zebra asks while cleaning his crossbow, which had a quarrel loaded and pointing at the tiger. "Oh, what am I saying? By all means, please. Kill each other, I'll just kill the winner and take over Manehattan myself afterward." He informs the group with a manic smile on his face as they all glare at him.

Their bickering comes to an abrupt end when, out of the shadows around them, the sound of echoing laughter made itself known, and it was approaching. Looking behind them, all the crime bosses see Blueblood approaching the group while wearing a newly made elegant white cape, a jacket interwoven with fine cloth and the telltale glint of silver mail and a matching pair of swords resting comfortably on either shoulder.

"And here I thought Rarity was dramatic."

"You..." The Minotaur glared at the Prince-in-exile and points at the Prince with his axe. "Give me one reason why shouldn't I rip you in half, right…" He halted his threat in shock when the prince pulled out a wrapped bundle from underneath his cloak and tossed at his hooves, spilling out its contents. The bundle contained the shattered and broken remains of four other axes eerily similar to the one he held now in his hand, recognizing the weapons for what they were the Minotaur snapped his eyes back to Blueblood.

"Please, let's skip all this, shall we? I have already heard enough death threats and attempts to intimidate me to last a lifetime." He confides in them with a tired sigh.

"Those are my Lieutenant's weapons! What did you…?"

"Relax, they were still breathing when I left…I think. Anyway, they are in custody right now." He then addressed the others. "As well as yours. So don't even bother calling them."

He casually informed the group, stopping in front of the Minotaur.

"You. Are. Bluffing." The unicorn called out.

"Am I?" He asks them with a quizzical tilt of the head before turning to the minotaur in a frightening display of speed. Reaching up with one hoof to wrap around the hilt of a sword the prince closed in on two hooves, coming into attack from a low angle. The Minotaur barely had time to guard as with one single swift stroke, the Prince-in-exile disarms the bull by cleaving the battleaxes haft in two before somersaulting backward, kicking both halves out of the stunned minotaurs hands. One half spun vigorously through the air before embedding itself into the wooden wall while the other slammed edge first into the desk, splitting it in half before anyone else could react.

The Prince-in-exile completed his movement raising his single sword into a low guard after landing easily on his back hooves with no hint of uneasiness or trembling the prince let out a breath of air once more before neatly sidestepping the minotaur's fist as he attempted to land a haymaker of a punch on the unicorn. Weaving around a second punch, the Prince-in-exile takes aim and fires a concussive magical shot point blank into the Minotaur's neck. The creature collapsed to his knees, clutching his throat and gasping for breath. He barely was able to notice a flicker out of the corner of his eye before he was punched in the jaw with the hilt and reinforced guard of the prince's blade. Spittle and blood flew from the minotaurs mouth as he collapsed down to all fours. The ex-prince then brought up one of his hind hooves and stepped onto the back of the minotaurs neck, pushing him down to the ground as the remaining crime bosses finally overcame their shock and stood, readying their weapons. The zebra fired his quarrel, but the Prince's sword flickered out once more with alarming speed, chopping the projectile in half as it drew near, it was unnerving that the prince did not even flinch as the two severed pieces of projectile whipped right by his face.

"I think your all misreading the situation your in here, gentlemen." The Prince continues conversationally, calmly before getting angry. "The only reason I haven't cut you all into bloody pieces of meat is a matter of courtesy and an opportunity for you to surrender." He leaned even harder on to his one hoof, starting to choke the Minotaur. "You can't scare me, you can't extort me, and you can't terrorize my friends!"

Blueblood charged his horn and channeled it down to his back hoof, as he removed it from the back of the minotaurs neck before bringing the hoof around to kick him bodily across the room towards the rest of the criminals. The wet crack of ribs breaking echoed throughout the room adding weight to the prince's words, "So let this be my one and only act of kindness." He pointed to the group with his sword. "Since you all have so graciously donated the entirety of your fortunes, holdings, and properties to the crown, I will give you one day's head start to leave the kingdom and never return."

"We what?!" The griffon screeched at him in rage as the Prince smiled tauntingly back at him before laughing once more. "Oh, sorry, you didn't know? After all, you were already providing a service to the crown by protecting its citizens, and you wouldn't even hear our offer of compensation and instead suggested that we pay you in Pyrite as a form of a present."

In alarm, the griffon took out a pouch of gold he was carrying and pulled a coin only to see that it was just a rock veined with the worthless iron sulfide. "Yeah, I might have charged you a bit too much, but hey, that is something you are more than familiar with, right? After all..." the prince's demeanor turned deadly serious again. "You really loved doing the same to everyone here."

"You son of a…!" The griffon launches himself into the air his talons blurring back and forth to sheaths on his body before snapping forwards, each time releasing a series of wickedly sharp throwing knives, but the Prince dodges and weaves through the barrage, and then charges forward to intercept the falling griffon unsheathing his second sword. The griffon screeches once more before diving in talons outstretched to rend and tear. The griffon never stood a chance, the prince parried the griffon's outstretched limbs off to the side and then flowed around his new opponent the twin swords single edges glowing like molten silver and the blurred through the air. The griffon slammed down hard on to the ground, barely able to maintain his footing while desperately looking around to find his pray. But his search came to an abrupt end when a searing pain tore its way up from his hindpaw as the prince drove one of his swords through the limb and into the floor, quite literally pinning the griffon in place before removing the blade. The prince then proceeded to lacerate his way up one of the griffon's flanks like a demented buzzsaw from the deepest pits of Tartarus finishing with a brutal crossing slash to the griffon's chest and shoulders. The Griffon collapsed to the ground mewling in pain. "Now this is what's going to happen. You all are going to get out Equestria right now, or I will break all each and every one of your bones, I will paint this room with your blood and then clean it up with your carcasses, and then I will make you crawl all the way from here to Canterlot!"

The others try to retaliate but he jumps back, and they only hit the griffon, sending him flying toward a nearby wall and knocking him out cold.

"Last chance, ladies." The Prince threatened. "Leave now, or I will toss you into a jail cell on a stretcher."

Minus the zebra who decided to make a run for it, all of them howled out battle cries before launching an attack.

The Prince smiled and prepares his swords.

"Stretcher, it is." He jumps toward them, charging his swords with magic as they meet with the clash of steel. The unicorn tried to blast him with his magic only for the Prince to deflect the bolt of magic with a sword. Blueblood then charged his own horn and creates a wave of magic that launched his two adversaries into the air before he suspending them there with his telekinesis. The ex-prince smile takes on a maniacal tone before turning into a sneer as he floats them closer to regard them much like one would regard a particularly disgusting slug. It was at this moment that the two began to feel something that they had not felt in a long time, Fear.

"You can't do this, you were supposed to be nothing but a snobbish brat, a brat!" The unicorn cried out in disbelief of what was happening.

"Perhaps, but I'm the brat that beat you." The Prince proclaimed with a deadly cold tone before blinking as his eyes began to glow ominously. "AIso, I wasn't kidding." the wicked smile returned as he lifted his sword. His victims could only gulp and then scream as outside the building any nearby pony would been traumatized by the sounds coming from inside the building. It was not the sounds of breaking glass, bone, and wood that was so terrifying, it was the screams. The screams that seemed to go on forever and get higher and higher in pitch until they were cut short.

The next day at the entrance of Canterlot

Four guards were in the nearing the end of their assigned night shift when suddenly a flash of light caught their attention, and when they turn to see what was happening all of their jaws hit the ground at the sight in front of them.

Approaching the entrance was the Prince, the pillars, and a platoon of soldiers along with three wagons filled to the brim with gold and treasure. Behind the wagon watched over by the sharp eyes and sharper spears of a detachment of guards, crawled four of the five crime bosses of Manehatten. They could barely move from their injuries and the weight of the chains that shackled them together as they collapsed in exhaustion once they reached the gates.

"Good morning gentlestallions, don't mind us, we are simply bringing all the money I owe the crown, three times over, to help solve the crisis we have, plus some rats that thought Equestria was easy prey." He informs them while gesturing at his prisoners. "Don't worry, I have their arrest warrants and a comprehensive list of their crimes right here." The Prince tells them as Hurricane passes one of the guards the arrest profile of each of the prisoners to them.

The guards blink at one another, unsure of what to think or do in this situation. The cat crawled toward one of them. "Please…just lock me up…get me away from... h-h-he's a monster!" He pleaded, completely terrified. "I-I confess, I'm criminal just please…take me away from that thing!"

Unnerved by the self confessed criminal's actions and even more confused by the Prince's calm smile the Corporal in charge of nodded slowly and began to take gesture for the others to assist the returned royal and his cadre. Before moving to speak to the prince. But before he could voice his own words, the prince spoke with a tone that brooked no argument.

"Now BRING ME JET SET!" The Prince ordered with the booming base of his very own Canterlot Royal Voice. The pre-dawn night seemed to fade blacker as the words echoed out, laced with so much anger and vitriol. The guard could not help but feel somewhat terrified of just what had returned to the capitol but shrugged _the pompous nit has it coming_'

The guard thought to himself before stepping aside.


	47. The Blinding Envy

**The Blinding Envy**

The uproar of the citizens filled the castle walls, as all of Canterlot gathered to witness a duel like no pony had ever seen in over a thousand years. That morning, the princesses were in complete bliss over the news that their nephew had returned home. Him arriving with a solution to the current crisis to boot was just icing on the cake. It was only natural that they wanted to see him as soon as possible. Yet, their jubilations came to a sudden halt. Before either of the two royals had a chance to go even speak with their nephew, a guard entered the throne room with news that left them in complete shock.

"He did what?!" Both princesses bellowed with enough force that it pushed the guard back several inches before he had the chance to elaborate.

In an unthinkable turn of events, Blueblood had gone ahead and confronted Jet Set. Though, instead of demanding a fight right there and then, he offered him the chance to determine the conditions and outcomes of said fight, something understandable and very mature to do. The primary point of contention appeared to be in where their nephew would acknowledge his past sins as well as the slight issue of him returning home without atoning for all the crimes attributed to him. Instead of spending hours quibbling over details and minutiae, the prince offered a simple, if somewhat preposterous deal. One in which, with the two small stipulations of the fight taking place at sundown and total freedom on their magic. Jet Set was allowed to bring not only his wife to fight alongside him, but they could also use any magical artifacts they wish to bring without any restrictions whatsoever.

Needless to say, everyone was more than a little confused. Both princesses were more than eager to protest and change such absurd conditions, but the terms had been reached, and the damage was already done. The conditions were accepted by both parties, so there was nothing they could do or say about it.

After that, there was just a matter of waiting for the arena to be prepared in the middle of the city as the combats were compelled to wait and prepare. Both parties were given assigned tents, where they would be kept under surveillance and guarded until the fight started. The royal sisters tried to approached Blueblood at this time, but controlling their citizens while everything was put into place took all of their attention. As sunset finally cast its evening glow and the fight was only minutes from starting the princesses were finally able to see the one they had sought all day.

As the hour of truth and battle grew near, the ex-prince kept looking at the entrance of his tent occasionally while the founders kept him company.

"Nervous?" Pudding asked, breaking the silence as the prince looked to her before nodding once.

"It's always the hardest part, you know? The wait. That's part of why I asked the duel to happen at sundown. It's a small dose of psychological warfare for Jet Set. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a double-edged sword." He explained to them with a sigh before looking at the tent's entrance once more with worry painting his features. "I just hope I didn't upset my aunts with this stunt too much. I feel awful keeping them in the dark like this"

"Harsh, yet necessary Rookie," Hurricane commented, "We needed to keep them guessing for this plan to work, and the princesses were more than necessary." She explains. "Now we got into the heads of those sons of…"

"Hurricane!" Platinum scowled at her before the military pegasus was able to finish her thought.

"…ponies, and we've made sure that we are prepared for anything they might try." She resumed with anticipation.

The prince nodded and mentally prepared himself for the incoming battle. It was in that moment that the tent flaps were drawn back and allowed both of the princesses to enter shortly after they stopped at the sight of their royal nephew.

The room went silent for a second as Blueblood took several steps closer towards Celestia, unsure of what to do or say after what he had done. After a moment of deliberation, he decided to bend the knee, but before he could start...

"Your…"

"Don't!" Celestia commanded, halting his actions as he looks back up to her, as she looked down at him with a stern gaze and teary eye. "Title or not, I will be damned before I let any member of my family bow to me ever again!" She exclaimed before smiling and closing the distance between them, bringing him in close for a group hug with Luna. "The only thing that we care about right now is knowing that you have finally returned home, dear nephew." Luna whispered with a smile.

"I'm happy to be back too." Blueblood replied, returning the gesture in equal measure and enjoying the affections of his aunts.

"I just wish this would have been under better circumstances." Luna commented, ending the hug "Nephew, why did you agree to such ridiculous conditions during this duel?" She asked worryingly. "If you wanted to atone for your misdeeds, I would understand, but there were certainly better alternatives. What you offered them was simply ridiculous with how big of a disadvantage it leaves you!"

The prince sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry. It was the only way that I could think of that would make them take the bait."

"Bait?" The sisters' question in unison, confused by that statement.

"Those two clearly have no shame or honor when it comes to combat and are willing to cheat and use dirty tactics in order to win." Blueblood stated factually. "but if you give them a scenario where it looks like they simply can't lose, you ensure that they will not try anything." He explains to them.

"By making the fight two against one, and allow them to bring any magical artifacts that they wish?" Celestia questions in surprise, still trying to understand the logic behind her nephew's words.

"It really looks like I'm at a disadvantage, does it not?" He smirks at them.

"And you aren't?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow as her nephew shook his head. "Why did you think I requested the duel to be at sundown and for no limits on the use of magic?" He informed them with confidence as a uniformed guard entered the tent.

"Everything is ready, your majesties."

"And that is my cue." Blueblood sighed before smiling and looking to Celestia. "Have faith in me aunties, I promised not to let you down."

"Just please be careful and don't underestimate your opponents, please." She pleaded, still worried as she watched him depart.

"Relax Celly." Hurricane called out, catching the royal sisters attention for the first time as the founders left the tent as well. "We trained your boy up real good, he is going to mop the floor with the faces of those plot-holes." She exclaimed confidently. The royal siblings blinked a couple of times at that crude comment as they process the voice of that mare, finding it oddly familiar.

The guard cleared his throat, bringing them back to reality. "You highnesses? Are you coming?"

"Oh, y-yes, we are going," Celestia answered for them both. Both leave to lower and raise their respective celestial bodies, and then to take their own seats as the duel was about to start.

As the last rays of the sun illuminated the arena, the prince took a moment to admire the place. Unlike his previous improvised duel in the royal garden, this one had all the preparations and trappings of a formal duel. The foremost of which was a domed cage placed in the middle of the plaza on top of a waist-high wall, (most likely enchanted with all of the different spells needed for this event). Three giant statues of none other than the founders stood guard around the dome, erected in a triangular pattern. Their stony, eternal gazes set to watch over the center of the arena. Lastly, set into alcoves in each statues base and recesses running along the base wall, locked behind a multitude of enchantments and protective spells, sat a plethora of crowns. Each one unique and a stunning work of art, they were all fashioned in the style of the tribe represented by the founder they were closest to. They rested there likely as some sort of reminder of previous rulers that went through the same. Overall the place looked epic. With the addition of a euphoric audience and the rulers as spectators, Blueblood couldn't help but feel like he just stepped into the Coliseum at the height of the Roman Empire.

_I bet the statues were Princess Platinum's idea_ The Ronin allowed himself a moment to chuckle at the idea of her commissioning the figures and forcing her friends to not move for hours for the sculptors. His train of thought was soon interrupted when he heard the familiar voice of Jet Set, who alongside his wife just entered the dome.

"Well, if it isn't the infamous prince, gracing us with his presence." Jet spoke with venom in his voice, both he and his wife clad in gold and silver plated armor that positively hummed with magic. Both were carrying rapiers as their chosen weapons. "I'll be honest, part of me thought that you would have turned tail and run away as fast as your hooves could carry you. Still trying to prove that your something other than a coward and a criminal, eh?" He mocked before drawing his sword in order to point at Blueblood. "Now I see that I was overestimating your intelligence! Is that really what you are going to wear for our fight?" He asked, referring to the tailored three-piece white suit and cape that the ex-prince was currently wearing, forgoing the mail he had worn in Manehatten for this fight. "And here I was thinking that you put on those conditions on yourself out of shame and guilt when in reality you were just acting like your usual narcissistic, egomaniacal, moronic self!" Jet Set then started to laugh.

"Now, now dear, let's be nice" Upper Crust stopped him before addressing Blueblood. "It not his fault for not knowing anything of the art nor the intricacies that a true duel entails." She simpers with a smug smile as she waits for a response but other than a casual glance, the ex-prince remained silent.

"What, no response? No sarcastic quip? No perfectly timed one-liner? Not even an attempt at a comeback? What is the matter, Ronin? This morning you couldn't stop talking about honor and taking responsibility for your actions. Did you finally realize the huge mess that sense of honor got you in after all?" Jet Set needled once more, but once again, the ex-prince didn't give him any reply. In fact, he wasn't even looking at them, as his attention was solely focused on the thrones where his family was going to sit. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sitting next to them, one clearly worried and the other avoiding eye contact with him.

"Blueblood! face me!" Jet Set demanded, starting to get annoyed by the ex-princes flat dismissal, and still, the prince didn't budge.

"I said face…!"

"…Enough!" Blueblood commanded, finally facing the couple with a glare before sighing as his fearsome expression melted into a look of pity. Shaking his head, the prince began. "Just stop it you two, you are just wasting your breath trying to provoke me and to be honest, it's just sad now."

"What?" Jet asked, confused and angry by the way that the ex-prince was looking at them now.

"Just look at yourself, look where you are right now, what have you provoked?" He listed out, pointing at the cage around them "If your problem and form or redress had been with only me, that would have been fine. I would have listened, heck maybe I would have agreed to your demands. To a degree, You were right, I was an egotistical brat who only thought of himself and got what he deserved." He confessed, looking down in shame, before looking back at him with seriousness. "But dragging down everyone else? Throwing subtlety out the window, just so everyone could see your grand act of 'heroism'!?" He continued making air quotes at the title. "Do you have ANY idea of what that stunt of yours almost caused to happen to Equestria?!" He was now getting agitated. "How much damage you did, just because you envy me and wanted attention?"

"Do not lecture me about seeking attention, Ronin!" Jet retorted angrily. "You are the last pony in Equestria that has any right to say anything about hogging the spotlight. Just because you grew a conscience doesn't mean you have the moral high ground." He finished, anger boiling deep within him.

"Yes, we might have tampered with your weapon during our first duel. But how is that any different from what you have been doing for years without any sort of punishment?" Upper Crust questioned before starting to list. "Drug trafficking, embezzlement, fraud, destruction of public and private property, perjury, gross abuse of power, mental, social, and physical harm of royal subjects, the list goes on. You compare all of that to us, and we come up as saints. You are not a prince or a noble! You don't even qualify as a decent pony, Blueblood." She tells with a glare. "The only thing you are, and will always be, is a spoiled brat that thinks the world revolves around you. One who has never faced any sort of punishment for his actions and that simply is not fair."

"Even now, when all we did was rightfully demand and ensure justice. We are the ones seen as the villains?! It's ridiculous! It's a joke! It's a sham that even though I'm a better stallion than you, one who EARNED his position when you simply inherited yours. That you can stand there and think that you can preach to me. I'm much better suited to be a prince, you had your time in the spotlight, but you squandered it, and now it was supposed to my turn. MINE!"

"Upper Crust, Jet Set, two wrongs, don't make a right. You are right, I was scum back then, but I'm trying to change! I really am, the only thing I ask is a chance to prove it."

"You had enough chances! And as far as we are concerned, the only one responsible for this mess is you!" He accused him while pointing at the ex-prince with his hoof. "And since apparently everyone else is too cowardly to say what we all are thinking…" Jet glared at the audience. "…I will come up and say it, no matter what you do, you will never be worthy of the crown you flaunt about wearing. You who always had to stand out. Well, you certainly stand out like a sore horn when portrayed next to your family!" He says with a smirk. "Princess Celestia is the Princess of the day, Princess Luna, of the night, their niece is the Princess of Love. Hay, one of Princess Celestia's freaking students is the Princess of Friendship!" He continued on his tirade. "And then there is you... how exactly are you related to our rulers, to begin with? You're just a pathetic excuse of a unicorn. A snob without any titles, and no real magical power or even wings, Twilight is more a part of the Royal Family that you would ever be, in fact, why don't you come clean and admit it, you are ad…"

Before he could end that sentence, Jet Set's words died in his throat. A new feeling sprang up in Jet Sets soul as the air became still and silent as the temperature plummeted. The Prince's expression was one of carefully disciplined neutrality, but the aura that surrounded Blueblood was absolutely apocalyptic. Jet Set blinked, and in that instant, the noble stallion felt himself being turned inside out and ripped to pieces. His skin was flayed from his flesh, and his hooves were cut from his body. He was left screaming in the puddle of his own blood as the crowd around jeered and the prince keep his stern glare. Gasping for a breath, Jet Set opened his eyes wide as a cold bead of sweat ran down his spine. He shivered as endorphins thundered through his body and mind. Leaving him oddly giddy from the complete and utter lack of pain. Had he just imagined it that terrible, sickening feeling? It took all of a moment and a glance at Blueblood to understand, but the moment it did the message was seared into Jet Set's soul. To speak on that subject in Bluebloods presence was a grisly death sentence. It was a line that no pony who wished to live should never cross.

Recovering Jet Set remained quiet as his wife spoke again. "Honestly, blaming all your faults on us Blueblood? NOW that is just sad, and immature, is that really the type of prince you wish to be?" Upper Crust taunted him once more.

The prince sighed and shook his head in sadness. "As I said, just a waste of breath, I would feel pity for you if you weren't so pathetic." He started to chuckle " now that I think about it. It's kind of funny actually. Here you are accusing me of being a coward, yet you both decide to confront me, a weak duelist and 'pathetic excuse for a unicorn', hiding behind two full harness's of armor that each has more protective magic woven into it then the Royal Vault and Princess Celestia's Warplate combined, and yet there you quiver; behind your wife's tail. All the while, spouting empty words about privilege and fairness and the art of a duel? I take it back, it is hilarious!" He tells them as he bursts into laughter. "It really is!"

"What?! Why you…!" Jet was about to attack him when Upper Crust stopped him. "I'm glad you find it amusing Ronin. We will see if you can keep laughing after we prove to Equestria once again how pathetic you really are, and how we are better suited for the title of royalty." She concludes while shooting Jet Set a small glare as if to tell him to calm down.

"My apologies," He tells once the laughter died down and cleaned one of his eyes, "Did that offend you?"

Upper Crust breathed through her nose in response, clearly agitated, as the three of them remained quiet and waited patiently for the arrival of the princesses, something to their relief, didn't take too long. As both princesses soon arrived and took their respective seats, Celestia took a glance a Blueblood, while still worried, she nodded to herself and, alongside Luna, began to addressing everyone using the booming echo of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

**"Citizens of Canterlot!"** Their voices alone are enough to shake everything nearby.

_Wow, now that is one impressive set of lungs_ Blueblood thought, clearly impressed by the force of their voices.

"**Today we gather to put an end to the feud between the noble couple of Jet Set and Upper Crust and the former Prince of Equestria, Blueblood, using trial by duel. With the additional conditions agreed upon by both parties**" Luna explained before looking at the combatants, and after sighing, she continued "**As such, the final outcome of this duel will not be determined by us, but by the founders themselves.**"

_Wait, what?_ Blueblood looked to his aunts in surprise before calming down when he understood that Luna was referring to the statues and not the mares in question.

"**Created by Commander Hurricane herself, and maintained as a reminder that no pony is above the law, this duel serves as proof that in the eyes of the founders we are all equals, and our true strength lies in our determination. Not our upbringing, or financial status**" Celestia continued "**Combatants, as your mock battle did, this dome will prevent any fatal wounds, and its healing properties are even stronger, to the point were not even scars will remain** " She paused for a moment as a troubled expression flashed across her eyes before disappearing. She then continued. "**Any wounds will heal immediately, including the cutting of one's horn, but don't let that fool you, any pain you suffer will be doubled, and all mental scaring will be permanent, so keep that in mind before letting yourself been stabbed.**" She warned them with a severe expression.

When they nod, Luna takes over once more.

**"As agreed, the duel will officially start when the sun completely sets and will end, once one of the content…when either, our nephew or his opponent's surrenders, is…or are rendered unable to continue, or fall unconscious. Any opportunities to surrender the fight will be granted, and any form of cheating will not be tolerated."** She glared at the couple threateningly. **"Combatants, do you understand?"**

"Yes," They all answer while keeping their eyes on their opponents.

**"Good, then prepare yourself!"**

The noble couple took up their stances and Jet smirks when he notices Blueblood quickly shifted his weight back on to his two hind hooves while his horn ignited, causing two swords to fly out from their scabbards. Landing quickly in Bluebloods now free forehooves. The prince twirled the blades quickly in his hooves, his lips moving but no words came from them. "Do you even know how to use those?"

Blueblood ignores him as he prepares, the flourishing blades stop, and so does the princes' silent conversation. Turning to face his opponents Blueblood bowed to them both before adopting a guard.

_Better don't take any chances dear, let's hit him without pulling any punches_ Upper Crust opened up the mental communication with her husband.

_Usually, I would argue, but I'm sick and tired of the kiddy moves, let's beat him to a bloody pulp._ He answered in agreement with his wife as they too prepared and enchanted their hoofs for an extra boost.

The tension was palpable as everything went quiet, the audience paying attention to the ground as the last rays of sun started to fade away until they vanish entirely.

**"Begin!"** Luna commanded as both parties launched themselves at each other with everything they had. To their shock, it seemed like they had the same idea of coating their weapons with magic, as sparks started to fly everywhere from the contact before they lept back.

_So that is what happens when magic coated object clash? Cool_

The prince mused over what happened when Llamrai and Hengroen clashed with the nobles rapiers. Before adopting a more defensive posture as the Jet Set and Upper Crust launched a series of coordinated attacks. All the while separating to draw away his attention to provide an opening that the other could capitalize on. Llamrai and Hengroen hissed through the air in a frenzied dance of steel parrying and reposting, twisting and winding. Always seeking but not yet finding gaps in his opponents' defenses. Shifting around and weaving his way through a series of thrusts, Blueblood extracted himself from the increasingly dangerous location between the married duelists before trapping Jet Sets blade between Llamrai's guard and edge applying pressure and the surprise generated by the move Blueblood turned and placed Jet Set firmly in between himself and Upper Crust. For the moment the fight was one on one, and there Blueblood had the advantage, levering Jet Sets rapier out of the way, he brought Hengroen down hard, point first on Jet Sets mailed neck. Though the armor's enchantments held firm and the tip of the blade skittered off like a hoof on polished ice. Not even touching the mail and sending up a shower of magical sparks in the process.

From the balcony of a nearby building, Scarlet watched on as everything unraveled with rapt interest. _My, my somebody has been a busy bee._ She sighed dreamily while watching the fight. _My sweet beefcake just got spicier._

_What in the hay? Since when does Blueblood know how to parry? Never mind countering like that!_ Upper Crust exclaimed as she ran up her husbands back and lept off, lashing out with a rapid series of powerful thrusts to drive the prince back away from her Jet Set. She could feel her husbands shock with how Blueblood had managed to keep up with them both.

_As if it will matter, the only thing that changes is that now I will enjoy this_ Jet smirks and slashes out with the wicked point of his rapier towards the ex-princes legs, capitalizing on his wife's ariel assault. The prince moves to avoid the blow but is caught off guard when Jet Sets blade rapidly shifts off-line and launches straight up towards his torso. _A feint!_ Llamrai was occupied with Upper Crust's attack...and Hengroen was just a fraction of a second too slow. Pushing the deceptive thrust away but not completely. Jet Set's blade found its target high and left, stopping Blueblood in his tracks. Jet's grinned with this victory. However, it was short-lived as Blueblood only met Jet Sets smile with a knowing smirk, before smashing him in the ribs with the pommel and guard of Llamrai.

The air left Jet sets lungs in a rush as the assault continued. To say that Jet Set was surprised would be an understatement as he failed to react as more and more blows came. Enchantments failed and armored plate buckled from the rapid series of devastating impacts. It was only when the prince brought his other blade down across Jet sets now vulnerable hindleg parting mail padding and flesh with ease. Ever the opportunist, Upper Crust closed in to attack the Princes unguarded back which forced the prince to redirect his focus to push her back. Retreating as quickly as his injured leg and battered ribs would allow him, Jet grit his teeth to keep from howling in pain as he felt the damage start to repair itself. Finding himself still unable to breathe, the stallion came to a realization and his growled out a curse and began using his magic to extract the ruined pieces of plate from his person. After loosening buckles and removing several pins, the damaged breastplate fell free before clanging off the ground. The noise of which must have attracted the princes' attention because Bluebloods head snapped around to focus on Jet Set alone. The pair's eyes met for only a moment before the prince ducked underneath a thrust and scooped Upper Crust off of her hooves before dumping her down hard onto the ground with a thunderous crash. The Noble Stallions eyes widened, and he only managed to bring his rapier up into a defensive posture as the prince closed and began to go on the offensive. Blueblood unleashed a rapid barrage of slashes, cuts, and thrusts, always moving to attack from off of Jet Sets Centerline. The prince would punctuate his bladework every so often with a strong kick the first of which clipped the cheek guard of Jet Sets helm, ringing it like a bell.

_Horseshoes..._ some small part of Jet Set's stunned mind noted. Shaking his head to clear that stupid thought and the ringing in his ears, Jet Set desperately held out, striking out only when there was no chance of another blow of the princes landing. Even then though they seemed to not even phase Blueblood.

_What is happening? I'm sure my strikes are landing, then why, why isn't he even flinching?! _Jet thought as he began to panic. Leaning sharply to the side Jet Set watched as his the tip of his wife's rapier appeared from Blueblood's stomach, almost impaling him in the eye, the surprise though allowed for him to retreat and compose himself. Jet looked up as he heard screams of horror coming from Celestia in the royal booth. Looking back to Blueblood and his wife he saw Upper Crust landed yet another piercing thrust into the princes back. This time the blade exited right through Bluebloods heart. It was ghoulishly fascinating how the ex-prince still remained completely calm while impaled as he was. Blueblood regarded the blade for a moment before wrapping both hooves around it and jerked it forward, pulling Upper Crust off balance. The impaled stallion then swiftly jerked left before spinning around to his right lashing out with a kick that connected with Upper Crust's head and helmet. The blow dislodged Upper Crusts Grip on her blade and spun the mare around. By the time she had found her opponent once again, she ducked beneath a scissoring Llamrai and Hengroen. Only to meet a rising knee with her snout. Staggering back and spitting a gob of blood out of her mouth Upper Crust surprised blueblood by stepping into one of his slashes, wrapping her hooves around his leg and torquing the joint in an attempt to break the limb. Her armor was not nearly as damaged as her husbands, and Blueblood could not waste time battering down her defenses when she could snap his leg like a twig. So, he took the third option. Channeling magic to his lungs and mouth, Blueblood unleashed a piercing, magically amplified whistle directly into Upper Crust's ear. The sound was such that it doubled as a concussive force and impacted with the power of the sonic cannon. Upper Crust was flung back into the cage wall where she slumped bonelessly to the ground. She lay there, staring at the prince with a confused look on her face for a moment. Though as blood began to pool out of her ear, a hoof shot up to her helmet as the pain and ringing of the healing process set in.

Jet remained silent as the prince slowly removed the sword on his body, still unaffected, adding more to his surprise until he noticed a small glow on his clothing and saw a glimpse of some kind of letter on the area where the prince was stabbed.

_Wait? Are those…_ His eyes wide and linked his mind with Upper Crust _He's using arcane runes!_

_What?_ Upper asked, after flinching from his yell, while at the same time still waiting for the ringing and pain in her ears to go fade.

_Those clothes, they're more than just a costume! He enchanted them with arcane runes, that's why none of our hits are having any effect. That outfit is deflecting physical attacks! _He explains before smirking _Which means…_ He charges again with his sword, but before their weapons clash, Jet disengages and blasts Blueblood with a magic pulse wave. The prince blinked as the spell hit his chest and sent him flying. The runes on his clothes flaring with magical energy as they attempted to dissipate the force that they were put under as Blueblood bounced off the ground before rolling to a stop. _That magic attacks can land_!

"I knew it!" Jet Set announced to the crowd triumphantly, "So that is how you did it, don't you?" Charging his weapon with magic, Jet went back on the offensive. Finally, his rapier managed to land telling blows against Blueblood.

"Each time a crook tried to hit you, your outfit saved your sorry flank, didn't it?" Their weapons clash and more sparks fly everywhere before Jet used his magic again to turn the ground underneath Blueblood into grasping claws of stone and try to grab him. Blueblood responded in kind by breaking them all with a magically charged hoof-stomp on the ground.

"That is how you managed to win against those criminals. Not because of sheer skill or mind games! You won because you were using cheap tricks!" Jet accused Blueblood as he charged his horn to teleport repeatedly around Blueblood, landing even more blows.

"I should have known, that what you always do. You're so lazy and cowardly that you could not even fathom the idea of getting injured! So tell me Ronin, what poor soul did you use to get those clothes? Or perhaps, did you just decide to steal them, eh? Confess!"

Finally getting angry, Blueblood lashed out, and sucker punched Jet Set in the teeth the moment he appeared. Throwing him off balance and leaving him on a daze. "You are wrong!" The Ronin launched an electric clone from his form that tackled Jet Set, taking him by surprise. Pinning and paralyzing him long enough for Blueblood to charge and ram Jet into the bars of the dome. Applying ever-increasing pressure to ensure that Jet Set could not use his sword. "This outfit is more than a nice suit Jet Set. For me, it represents the faith, will, and support that all the citizens of Manehattan gave me when I begged them for a chance to redeem myself. It's their way to help ME send a message to any criminal who tries to hurt my family's kingdom ever again. And that is something that no blade will ever be able to pierce." Blueblood snarled out in Jet Sets face. who smirked.

"What a sweet thought, let us test it then," Jet Set quipped which confused Blueblood before the light of realization sparked in the princes' mind. The ex-prince just began to turn to face the approaching threat only for Upper Crust impale him with her charged horn. The magically charged keratin glanced off his ribs before she unleashed the stored concussive blast directly into the prince. The prince was sent spiraling away, screaming in pain. Landing with a sickening squelch, Blueblood rolled and howled as he bled from the wound.

"Well what do you know, it CAN be pierced after all." Upper Crust commented while panting. Her husband chuckled and walks toward his wife.

"So much for the faith and support of commoners." Jet called out with a smirk as he regarded the Ronin who was now glaring at the pair before slowly standing up while holding his closing wound. "You know what? I take it back, that outfit does suit you. After all, it's just like you; weak, dubious, and filled with holes!" He mocked before charging his horn and shooting a blast that Blueblood barely managed to dodge before been intercepted by five exact copies of Jet Set all charging at once, they were quickly dealt with by Llamrai and Hengroen, but one of them managed to land a small cut on his right hoof.

_The blades of the copies can pierce me? Damn it, it probably because they are made of solid magic_. The prince observes as he is forced to retreat further back to avoid getting hit with another spell. Unfortunately, the final clone let itself be run through so it could grapple Blueblood, stopping him in his tracks and preventing him from using his weapons.

"Don't forget about me!" Upper Crust demanded, charging once more with her rapier as a mist swirled up around her entire body. Blueblood tried to stop her attack while summoning a magic shield to block her, but she pierces through with ease.

_That mist cancels magic?_ The Ronin exclaimed mentally but was too late. Upper Crust managed to hit him with a magic blast that finished the clone and left the Ronin exposed for a series of deep lacerations on his chest that sent him flying once again only to be received by Jet Set. Who electrifies his weapon and dragged the edge of his sword over and through Blueblood's eyes before kicking him in the back. The prince screamed as he collapsed. Blinded, however temporarily, the prince squirmed and tossed on the ground in pain while weeping blood.

Upon seeing this malicious treatment of their nephew. The princesses were about to throw the rules and traditions of the duel to the wind and intervene when Discord stopped them. Unpopping into existence between the two and grabbing their shoulders. "No! My boy is not out yet!" He shouts out, looking suspiciously like Don King as he did so.

"Discord, what are you saying?! He is blind, an in extreme pain, not to mention that any minute now he will fall unconscious from the pain once the dome starts to heal his eyes!" Celestia protested. Shaking off Discords paw.

"We need to stop this before that happens!" Luna added in, agreeing wholeheartedly with her equally worried sister

"Do it, and you would lose him forever!" Discord argued back.

"What?" Both sisters look at Discord, concern apparent.

"Isn't that the objective of this fight? For him to come back home?" He asked, rhetorically. "Trust me, he can handle it, I trained him rather well this last month."

That caught the diarchs attention as they concern slowly shifted to anger as they glared at the draconequus. "You mean to tell us that all this time you had our nephew and didn't tell us?!" Celestia asks as her rage increased.

"Ah, Ah! Eyes on the duel" Discord tells placing a finger on her cheek and moving it back towards the dome. "Trust me, you don't want to miss this part." He tells them as Blueblood, despite the pain he was currently going through, manages to stand using Llamrai as a crutch while shaky hooves and lift Hengroen to guard.

"This isn't it over Discord." Celestia warned him as she and Luna sat back on their thrones again.

"I have to applaud his tenacity, wouldn't you agree, honey? No matter how pointless it is at this point, he just keeps standing up." Upper Crust crowed before shaking her head.

"Don't bother honey." Jet approaches the ex-prince. "This idiot was always too stubborn to admit defeat." He sent another magical blast, which Blueblood manages to block most of before his shield spell failed, shattering and allowing for some of the spell to connect, throwing the princes shoulder back and forcing him to take a step back. "You really don't know when to quit, do you Ronin?" Jet laughed and shook his head.

"In fact, it's not just me experiencing a small sense of deja-vu here? If I remember correctly, this is exactly what happened last time we fought." Jet Set teased as he combined magic with his wife. Together, they kept creating copies of themselves that started to take up positions around the Ronin. Ready to strike upon the mental command "You, broken and crying for mercy, I then granting you plenty of opportunities to surrender, and all of Canterlot looking on and seeing you for what you really are." He continued his taunting as Blueblood tried to recover some breath and holding his weapons tight. "I suppose now is just as good a time as any to grant you a chance to admit defeat."

He proclaims, secure in the knowledge of his own impending victory and yet the prince remained silent.

"Don't feel bad, dear. You fought bravely, and we recognize that, but it's time to be realistic. You never had a chance to begin with. We are the prime example of nobility, the top magicians on our classes, and experts in swordsmanship, even with all of your tricks and some new spells. This conclusion was inevitable."

_Ok I'll admit it, those two are really good, I would dare to say, even Twilight and Starlight would have to be on their A game in a fair magic duel against them_ Blueblood internally monologues, but he still remained silent.

"What? Nothing else to say? Or perhaps the pain is keeping you from speaking?" Jet takes a couple of steps forward. "Or perhaps, it's not pain, no maybe it is fear that is keeping you immobile, tell me, Prince, do you fear me?" Jet Set taunted him getting closer to his face.

"No, but soon, you will FeAr mE!" Blueblood whispers before a flicker of darkened silver glinted through the air. Jet Set fell backward with a shriek and a gurgle his hooves scrabbling against his helmet disintegrated around his head. If one looked closely, they could see that the noble Stallions lower jaw and tongue hung by a thread of severed muscle. The stallion continued to gurgle as he rolled on the ground, trying to stem the tide of red.

Luna's hackles rose, and her wings stood and ruffled for a second.

"What is wrong, Luna?" Celestia asked in concern.

"I don't know, but for a second there, I swear I saw the silhouette of Nightmare Moon covering our nephew's body." She whispered worry and fear etched upon her every feature.

"JET!" Upper cried out as she rushed to her husbands' side. Glaring at Blueblood, She commanded the clones to attack only for the Ronin to backflip out of the way. Cocking his head to the side briefly before lashing out with both swords Blueblood pierced two clones through their heads before turning to stare off into the distance with his ruined eyes, listening. "By the stars, I thought he would never shut up! Moon above what a windbag!" He complained with a frustrated sigh before smirking tilting his head and smiling in Upper Crust's general direction. "You will have to forgive me. I still haven't recovered my vision, so I need to ask you, Upper Crust, what did I lop off? Throat, jaw, or head? I'm guessing it wasn't the head because I can hear him moving."

The couple glare at him in rage as Jet stand up with the aid of Upper Crust while holding his injuries as they began the regeneration process.

"Get him!" Upper Crust yells in fury as the clones go into the attack.

"How…how is he able to fight while blind?" Luna whispered. Clearly shocked by what she was seeing. Despite his injuries and how the copies were landing an occasional glancing blow on Blueblood. The exiled Prince was holding his ground. Like the loss of his sight was merely an inconvenience that barely phased him.

"Because he prepared for any surprise!" Pudding Head answered with a proud smile, which the only confused Luna even more as she looked to the mare in question.

Celestia kept watching the fight with her worry growing as more and more copies kept managing to find their marks, stabs and slashes ripped through Bluebloods outfit more and more until all that remained were some bloody rags hanging from his body, remnants of what was once a beautiful white suit. Once Jet Set Finally recovered the use of his jaw, he and Upper Crust joined in the fight and skewering the Ronin through his chest before twisting their weapons savagely. Causing Blueblood to flinch and stop from the pain.

"Do you feel it brat?! That is called pain, and this is just a sample of what is to come!" Jet snarled, before they jump backward, making the Ronin gasp as their swords were removed. Blueblood collapsed to a knee while holding his chest, a pool of blood forming underneath him.

"Let that be a lesson Ronin" Upper Crust announced. "This is what happens when you challenge the purest of noble blood!" She proclaims with pride as they, alongside the clones, charged their horns for a massive magic blast. Her smirk is soon replaced by a frown when she noticed one small detail that did not quite fit with this situation. Blueblood was... "Why are you smiling?" she questioned

"You are about to see," Blueblood answered with a grin as his eyesight finally started to return. Upper Crust understood immediately and gasped before canceling her spell and turning to Jet. "Jet wait!" She warned, but it was too late as he and his copies fired. Falling right into Blueblood's trap. The remains of Bluebloods suit that adorned him and lay strewn about the arena glowed an angry red and swallowed all magic in their proximity. The copies collapsed in upon themselves as their magic was ripped out and repurposed by the ex-prince. The massive spell that they had enchanted squib fired and dispersed into the air and was promptly absorbed as well. Lastly, all the magic that held and sustained the noble couple shattered like so much glass rebounding on them and causing them to collapse to the ground a full pulse of magic soon radiated out from the remaining bits of fabric that washed over Jet Set and Upper Crust. Leaving them both too weak to even speak at the moment.

What remained of Blueblood's suit smoldered and then caught fire. Burning to ashes, he panted and tried to recover his breath.

_What is happening! My body! it so heavy! I can't move!_ Jet Set panicked as he tries to regain control of his limbs, he only managed to move one of his hooves an inch, and it felt like such a herculean task.

Blueblood started to chuckle and regarded his two opponents once he finally got his second wind. "How does it feel having a skeleton with the same mass and density of fabric? Scary right? Having bones so weak that they can't provide any structural support to your muscles or organs? All you can do right now is lie there immobilized by your own body weight and watch." He takes a deep breath and walks briefly to Llamrai and Hengroen. Recovering them with ease. "It only lasts a couple of minutes, and it's a one time only trick, but for what is going to happen next, one time is all I need." He confides to them with a smile before looking up at the cloudy night sky.

"And what an appropriate time this is too. For you see..." The prince smiled widen ever so slightly when he notices some pegasus moving the clouds away starting to reveal a stunningly bright full moon "Tonight is a blue moon*"

"Discord what are you doing?" Luna inquired when she noticed Discord placing a camera in front of her and Celestia.

"Oh, I just want to make sure to capture your reactions, for when you see Blood Moon**!"

"Blood what?!" Celestia echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Pay attention." That is the only warning Discord gave them before preparing to take the picture. Meanwhile, the noble couple slowly started to regain some use of their limbs as they watched at the prince, confused by his actions. Blueblood kept staring at the moon until he got a full view of it shifting his gaze from the moon to Jet Set and Upper Crust the two were able to see that the reflection of the moon remained in his eyes even when he was not looking at it. "Earlier you asked me how I am related to my aunts? WeLl LeT mE sHoW YoU!" Blueblood voice suddenly took on a demonic echo and timbre as his eyes now glowed white and an aura of magic enveloped his body.

Everyone was rendered speechless when they saw what was happening in front of them. Magic began to rise off of Blueblood and curve away into the sky in a manner the likes of which only a select few in all of Equestria had ever seen as the night sky turned red. When looking up, Celestia gasps the moment she finds out why. The moon itself was waxing into a bright but foreboding red.

Immediately this discovery, she turned to her sister, "Luna what are you doing?!"

"It's...not my doing sister, I…I don't know what is happening, it feels like…" Luna's eyes widened with the realization as she looked back to Blueblood, "…some pony else is tampering with my moon." She whispered but then is rendered speechless as her jaw dropped followed almost immediately by Celestia's from what was happening in the arena. Not even the flash from Discord camera managed to snap them out of the surprise.

"Oh, this one is going into the album." Discord chuckled as he admires the photo before putting it away and returned to watching the arena with great interest. "And now the real show starts," He whispered in anticipation.

nside the dome, Blueblood started to levitate the very dust and shake the ground, his form rippling with power before his body and horn tripled in size while his teeth turned into fangs. His fur muted to a dusky shade of gray, while his mane and tail grew into an exaggerated length, burnished gold faded to silver for only a moment before they both began to flow much like liquid Mercury as an unseen arcane breeze caught hold of the hairs. Blueblood's eyes turned red and reptilian, darting left and right before focusing on Jet Set and Upper Crust. Stepping forwards, the newly transformed Blueblood casually passed through a ray of tainted moonlight. As he did so, interlocking plates of silver shimmered into existence covering the prince's torso and neck and hooves flowing backward until the prince exited the light looking every inch like a warrior-prince of old. Lastly, Llamrai and Hengroen began to change and flow to better suit the princes need, running together and reshaping themselves into something different. Removing his gaze from his foes, Blueblood focused on this separate transformation and channeled his magic into his two friends to provide his own input on their new form. Jet Set and Upper Crust, who had finally recovered enough use of their limbs and magic each cast a spell to teleport away before staggering back several more steps eyes wide with shock. The ex-prince paid them no attention as they did; he was still focused on his weapons. From the mass of flowing metal and magic, a new form began to emerge.

_Llamrai... Hengroen... I thank you both for all that you have done. Though, this is no longer your fight. You are tools of honor and justice. Now is the time for a sword that revels in misfortune and bathes in the blood of our foes. Now is the time for the Slayer of Kings, Kingdoms and Legends alike. Now is the time for..._

"ClArEnT***" the demonic voice from before whispered out from between the prince's lips like oiled silk. The new sword was a departure from the exile princes two previous blades. Its blade was long, undulating and wickedly sharp, stopping just short of five feet in length. An additional ten inches of hilt extended from the base of the blade that ended in a simple pommel. The grip was wrapped in corded black leather, which curiously extended up past the enlarged and ringed guard to cover the swords ricasso terminating at a pair of Parierhaken that extended outwards beneath the wicked edge, which gleamed crimson in the moonlight. The prince wrapped his hooves around the war-sword and slowly inspected the weapon. A genuine smile graced his visage as he gave the weapon a flourish, listening to it scythe through the air for a moment while reacquainting himself with the blades additional weight. Finally satisfied and ready, Blueblood brought the massive sword to rest gently across his armored shoulder. It was only now that he regarded his opponents once more. The princes' smile faded, and his draconic eyes hardened. "GrEeTiNgS... AlLoW mEtO...ReInTrOdUce MySeLf. I aM...BlOoD MoOn"

estefanoida/art/BloodMoon-Commission-806742016

_Luna his mane! _Celestia inform her sister in total surprise _It flowing, his body is overflowing with magic mana now!_

_No, it's not his magic Tia _Luna inform hardening her gaze as she recovers _He is channeling my moon into him like some kind of magnet. _She explain as her expression turns to worry and fear

_Dear nephew, are you really you right now? _

"Oh…~Oh my" Scarlet panted and had trouble to remain standing. Her tongue hung out of her mouth in shameless want. _Such power, such authority, oh stars! Oh please, please don't look at me with such powerful eyes._She took a minute to catch her breath before appraising at Blueblood once more. _So much raw power, I feel like a deer that has been caught by a hungry wolf, I just ah…ah!_ Her legs finally refused to listen to her commands anymore as she is collapsed into a sitting position as her eyes rolled back _It turns me on so much!_Once her afterglow ended, she staggered back to her hooves once more. "Feathers! I need Quills! And ink and parchment! I need to write this down!" She cried out in excitement as she goes back to her room. Meanwhile, with the duel, things also continued to heat up even more.

"WhY, JeT SeT, uPpEr CrUsT, WhAtEvEr SeEmS To Be WrOnG? DoN't TeLl Me YoU'r..." Blood Moon asked only to step out from behind the two nobles. "ScArEd?"

Both of them yelped in surprise and lept into the air before turning around and start to back away from the stallion. Blood Moon chuckled lightly at the pairs display of self-preservation instincts. Directing gaze Between the two as if sizing them up, the Prince continued. "I wOuLd LiKe To ExTeNd ThE SaMe CuRtIsY yOu GaVe Me To YoU bOtH. SuRrEnDer NoW oR fInD oUt WhAt HaPpEnS wHeN i GeT...aNgRy..." Blood Moon warned, His eyes still twinkling with mirth.

The comment managed to snap the noble couple back to reality, and it stoked the fires of rage within them. "You little…insufferable brat!" Jet exploded and channeled all of his rage towards the transformed prince, Upper Crust having the same idea soon followed suit and combined her magical might with her husbands. Jet Set summoned copies of the two, while Upper Crust activated the runes on what remained of both of their armor which functioned as a superconductor for her magical might. Allowing for her to dump even more power into the spells, she cast before feeding that extra power over into her husband. Overcharged as he was by his wife's actions, Jet Set Was able to create not only unicorns but aspected clones of themselves as earth ponies and pegasi alongside griffons, minotaurs, yak and even a few dragon versions of themselves all joined together in one great phalanx of magic. Bristling and ready to be unleashed on their single target. At the sending of an unseen signal, the small army charged at Blood Moon in a full assault. No reserves were kept, and not even a thought of surrender was given as they closed in. "Don't get cocky! Just because you grew taller, and put on a nightmare night costume, doesn't mean you can beat us!"

"I bEg YoUr PaRdOn?" Blood Moon asks in genuine confusion.

"We've had it with your theatricalities Ronin! You shouldn't even be here, this was supposed to be our time to shine! WE are the heroes of this story! Not you! Us! It was OUR time to shine! You were only supposed to lose! So just lose!" Upper Crust screeched out as the pair both lost themselves to their jealousy and pride and join in on the attack without any form of rhyme or reason.

"YoU WeRn'T jOkInG tHeN...vErY wElL." Blood Moon sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "NeVeR lEt It Be SaId ThAt I dId NoT gIvE yOu A cHaNcE." He stated before enveloping himself in a silver and black haze before charging into the small army arrayed against him.

Four copies of Jet Set tried to strike Blood Moon down, the Heavy blade of Clarent swept their strikes aside, it was then that the haze took action as well latching on to the four clones it dragged all for of them into the air as the prince propelled himself high into the air before twirling like an acrobat. Clarent sang a death knell as its wavy blade sundered magical armor and summoned flesh and bone with equal ease. The eight pieces of four clones disappeared before they had a chance to fall back to the ground below.

The dragons and griffins tried their luck next. Some closing to engage while others hung back to cut off any chance of escape. The first to reach Blood Moon was a powerful example of the dragon species for a clone. Thick with muscle and armored with diamond-hard scales. It died just the same. Blood Moon impaled its head on Clarent and proceeded to use its dissipating bulk as a shield blocking a jet of flame from another dragon clone and the rending claws and beak of a pair of Griffon Clones. Shifting his Grip Clarent was forcibly removed from the clones disappearing remains and used to dispatch these new clones in short order. The Dragon died when it was pierced through the stomach and hewn open. The Griffons died when the first was impaled and used as an improvised springboard to reach the final griffon, who died after its wings were cut from its body. It screeched out as it plummeted uncontrolled out of the air and dashed its head ground, Blood Moon landed lightly and spun Clarent around his head maintaining the weapon's momentum while simultaneously parrying a strike from a minotaur copy that sought to stab the prince in the back. The minotaur attempted to get clear as the Scything edge came around once again but incorrectly judged the swords timing and placement and lost its legs as the blade swept low. Though fatally wounded the minotaur did not immediately die like its cloned brethren. It used what limited time it had with its magical matrix damaged as it was to make one last effort. It hurled itself at the prince with its horns bared. It never saw the silver and black mist that ate it. With the minotaurs demise, the fog began to expand.

The couple used a magical barrier to protect themselves from the grasping fog as they scanned their surroundings for their opponent as the fog stopped swirling and finally seemed to settle. However, it didn't seem to be dissipating, but it was instead getting thicker taking on a reddish glow as it did. Jet Set and Upper Crust soon found themselves unable to see anything but a half sphere of swirling red outside the sound of battle grew muted and then faded away entirely. For a moment there was silence, and then there was the sound of hoof falls making contact with the stone outside. Which grew louder and louder with each step. It was then that they noticed something glowing outside of their barrier just off to the side.

Gasping in surprise, the pair barely had time to turn intangible as the glow detonated and sound of battle returned full force. The explosion was powerful and wiped out a good portion of their tightly packed formation of clones. It also had the added bonus of leaving them shaken by the sudden burst of light and sound. This was long enough for Blood Moon to materialize like a wrath in front of them. Blood Moon lashed with a vicious punch and smashed the supposedly intangible Jet Set in the chest with enough force to send him flying through the air to impact on the barrier cage denting the metal with his body. Upper Crust barely had a chance to perform a sloppy desperation block with her rapier as Clarent came around to smash down pommel and guard first on her blade. The force of Blood Moons blow sent the noble mare to her knees teleporting away from her opponent, she appeared next to her husband who she helped stand up while he coughed up blood and gulped in great lungfuls of air. Getting desperate, they put their horns together and launched a magic blast the size of a chariot straight into Blood Moon, who raised a hoof and caught the attack before opening his mouth and inhale deeply, gobbled it up all the magic in the process.

Now utterly terrified, the couple desperately and mass cast copies of themselves by the dozen, who immediately launch themselves at Blood moon upon stabilizing their physical form. But the Princes form entirely disintegrate into the mist, which wormed its way through the crowd makes its way through their replenished but now magically diminished army like a breeze through a field of hay. Not only did the numbers of copies seem to be ineffective in fighting the prince, but some were actively hindering there fight. The mist would surround a clone and actively infecting the clones with his own magic. Instead of disappearing when disrupted in this manner, the copy instead began to glow red like the moon above. They would then fight there way out of formation and gathered together in a group. Then began to haze together and take on three new forms. Where once stood thirty clones now stood three knight ponies in utterly bizarre suits of armor that none the less appeared unassailable. The first was a Giant earth pony with an enormous maul, each step of his hoof and swing of his bludgeon would shake the earth beneath him and his opponents. A lightning fast pegasus with a lance that seems to produce lighting itself dodged and weaved through the Earth ponies attack and punctuated the hammer blows with peals of piercing lightning. The last and, oddly enough injured, knight was a unicorn who's face was shrouded by a scarf and despite having a broken hoof, seemed more than capable of handling the army of clones by himself with his claymore.

"There they are!" Hurricane exclaim in excitement jumping on her seat. "I was wondering when he was going to use those guys."

"What, in the name of all my stars, are those ponies?" Luna demanded, surprised by such remorseless display of force and power

"According to Blueblood, their names are Ornstein, Smough, and Artorias, and if what he told us is true, those three are the most terrifying knights any ruler could ask for," Hurricane explained. "He was probably saving them for last, and for what I'm seeing, the wait was more than worth it." She commented with a smirk, "Those two are done for."

_By Celestia what are those things made off?!_ Jet cried out in terror through the link he and Upper Crust were pushed into a corner, while Blood Moon and his demonic knights kept decimating their forces without taking any lasting damage.

_Just keep shooting_! Upper Crust answered, equally terrified at this point. They both cast spell after spell as fast as they could, praying to turn the tables somehow. Getting desperate, and both have the same idea. The two charge head-on into the knight known as Smough, impaling his chest with their horns and channel what remains of their magic, to turn him into a bomb. Which explodes and levels everything in sight.

Once the commotion finally died down, all that remained was a beaten, battered, worn and thoroughly terrified pair of ponies. Jet Set and Upper Crust found themselves on their knees panting and smoking before looking around before beginning to giggle hysterically with relief.

"We did it…we finally did it! It's over!" Upper Crust cried out in victory before the sensation of an intense glare upon them froze the pair in place.

"No." With a single slash of Clarent, Blood Moon cut their horns off as he appears in front of them with a emotionless stare. "ThE wOrSt Is YeT tO cOmE."

The nobles, now powerless and on the verge of crying, took one look at Blood Moon before turning around and try to run away. Their attempts were all for naught though as Blood Moon charged his horn and ripped the entire arena out of the earth and hurled it up into the air at breakneck speed, pinning Jet Set and Upper Crust into the ground with the acceleration. The couple could not do anything other than scream until things finally, mercifully seemed to slow down. When they finally had the wits to stand up and look up, the nobles are rendered speechless once they notice how they were now in outer space.

"Blueblood, what…what did you just do?" Upper Crust asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Looking back to the prince with a questioning expression only to find him dissolving once again into mist.

"I took us into outer space, which means that we will not need this anymore."

Before either of them could react, the entire dome crumbled to pieces and the two were launched upwards once more, on their exodus, the pair saw spectral forms of monsters and creatures that would try to eat them only for them to pass through while they continued to scream.

Suddenly the spectral head of Blood Moon appeared in front of them with a smirk.

"There is no telling where are you going, and now the danger is really growing, you made me mad, and now there is no turning back, and why everything is getting brighter? Is because of a kind aunt, or perhaps a fair ruler? No! Its the sun! AND it's fast approaching! I Hope you have your sunscreen on, because things are about to heat up, and will just keep getting hotter!" Blood Moon started to laugh while his face melted into a skeleton that burst into flame while continuing to laugh, making the couple scream ever louder as they watched the sun approached. They can feel the heat all over their bodies as they start to smolder and burn. They were also able to see in those final moments, their armor begin to melt from the searing heat.

"Ok! Ok! You win! You WIN!" Upper Crust yelled with tears on their eyes.

"We surrender! You can be the prince again! Just please, stop this, please!" Jet begged with his eyes closed. "I'm begging you, please spare our lives, please stop! Stoo…p!"

The moment they both admitted defeat, their bodies fell down abruptly, and everything went black before they woke up screaming. Only to find themselves lying back in the arena with Blood Moon still in front of them.

"What…what just happened?" Upper Crust asks clutching her chest, trying to calm her hammering heart.

"A DrEaM sPeLl, the oldest trick in the book." Blood Moon answered her, his voice shifting to something slightly less demonic but no less Blood Moon.

"What?!" Jet Set look at him in indignation. "You mean that none of what happens was real?!"

"I never said that." Blood Moon tells them with a shake of his head before pointing at them, more specifically at their armor, or what was left of it. Despite being cool to the touch, all of the plates and a mail that remained had melted together into a solid mass. "I said it was a dream, I never said that it wasn't real."

"What?! But…but how?" Upper Crust, asked trying to understand what was going on, while Jet checked his forehead and sigh in relief as his and her wife horns were still there.

"I call it "Nightmare Opera."" Blood Moon elaborated, "Think of it as a normal sleeping spell. Only this one blurs the lines of reality and fantasy. So anything that happens to you in the dream happens in real life." He continued while taking a meaningful glance at the melted and hardened ruin of steel that used to be the pairs rapiers. "With the caster as the conductor, deciding what does or doesn't become real. The moment you were trapped in my spell, you were done for."

"And at which point did you trap us there?" Upper probed trying to piece together what just happened. Only for the prince to stand, turn, and walk away. "As if it mattered, Dame Crust, the fight is over. I won, and you lost. That is the only thing that matters now."

"What?! You can't possibly be serious, we were under a spell, that shouldn't count at all!" Jet Set tried to protest. "I have my rights, and I demand that we keep fi…"

"Would you like to take a close look at the sun again, Jet Set?" Blood Moon asked him, looking at Jet Set with one draconic eye over his shoulder.

"No! No! We are cool, we are cool, n-no need for that again." He answers, backing down quickly in fear.

"I am glad to hear it. Although you do have a point. Only two ponies can announce the final end of this duel," Blood Moon announced, looking back to his aunts who remain quiet, too quiet in fact, to the point where Blood Moon started to worry as he takes notices of the fear in their eyes "A-Aunties?" He asks, clearly distressed as he didn't expect that reaction from them.

Managing to snap back to reality, Luna stood up and addressed the audience. "Jet Set and Upper Crust, have admitted defeat, the winner of this duel and the reclaimer of his title: Blueblood, Prince of Equestria!" She announces, putting an official end to the fight. Yet no cheer was heard afterward, as the prince soon started to take notices on how every pony in the audience was looking at him. He could see the naked fear and worry on their faces, making him suddenly rather self-conscious as the deafening silence grew.

*Unusual 13th, full moon, that occurred on a calendar with just 12ve full moons.  
** Rare event when the moon turns red

***The sword of peace, who is said was used to slay King Arthur


	48. EDP

**E.D.P**

The tension was palpable as every spectator in the arena remained quiet while looking at the Prince. Fortunately for Blood Moon, he could see some of the initial fear he was seeing dying down a little as he stays still. Even though, everypony still seemed on edge. To the point that even moving one hoof only a little, had resulted in a flurry of ponies flinching and hugging their children tighter. Not even the princesses were immune, as he could detect the same tension in their eyes. That image of the two of them poised and unsure pierced through him like a knife twisting in his stomach and leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

_Come on Rookie you got this_ Hurricane thought, also tense by how things had turned out.

_This is it, sweetie. The moment of truth, you got their attention, now show them the rest of you, just like we practiced_Platinum swallowed saliva in anticipation.

_Almost there, now give us a speech, so we can wrap this whole show up._ Pudding was practically biting her hoof from the tension in the air. _You are just milking the tension now, stop it already!_

"He seems…scared" Fluttershy whispered with pity as she slowly started to take stock of the transformed prince's features.

"Oh this is bad, he won! Ponies should be cheering, not staring at him like he's the next coming of King Sombra" Pinkie answered before turning to her friend "We need to do something, this seems like a job for an E.D.P"

"E.D.P?" Fluttershy looked at her in confusion.

"Come on, I will explain on the way," Pinkie told her, as they both took advantage of everyone been distracted to slip away from their seats.

As the minutes passed, the prince swallow hard before hardening his resolve and address his subjects. "Let this be a lesson, ponies of Canterlot. I am far from perfect, and I'm pony enough to admit that I still have a long road ahead of me to atone for my sins, but with the princesses as my witness, I promise you two things" He closed his eyes and then pressed his right hoof against his chest before planting Clarent's point into the flagstone. "Someday I will become the prince you all deserve," He opened his eyes, and everyone felt a cold chill on their backs at the sight of his glare. "And two, if anyone threatens or harms our kingdom or my family. They will face the FuLlEsT eXtEnT oF mY wRaTh."

Blood Moon could feel the gaze of his aunts boring into him, and when he stole a glance to gauge their expressions, it took all of his training to not flinch. Their earlier apprehension hand morphed into something all the more heart-wrenching. Fear.

_They're scared of me, as well as the rest of the kingdom._ Blood Moon felt like dirt, and the only thing he wanted to do now was to walk away and never show his face again, but for the sake of his image, he knew that all of this was necessary. No matter how much it pained him. Holding back a tear, he simply decided to close his eyes and prepared to leave when the last thing he expected to happen... happened.

"Blueblood?" turning back, the Prince was surprised to find an equally surprised and yet concerned Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie standing right in front of him. He took a quick glance to their seats and then again at them as he processed what had happened.

_But they were…? When did they…? How did they…? How did nobody see them?_ The prince silently questioned as Fluttershy took a cautious step closer, some ponies gasped at her boldness while staying at the edge of their seats.

"Is that really…you?" It was just a straightforward question, but the way she asked with so much concern in her voice managed to do the trick as the cogs on his brain re-engaged and started to spin, cluing the Prince into what was happening, and why everyone was so tense from his appearance.

"They think Blood Moon is possessing me." He whispered, catching Fluttershy off guard.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure of what she just heard.

With a shake of the head, the Prince addressed her once more, much calmer now. "YeS, dEa-" Blood Moon's voice broke hissed out for a moment before he paused and cleared his throat. Before beginning once again. This time not falling into his demonic rasp, though there still remained something otherworldly in the Prince's voice. "My apologies. Yes, dear Fluttershy, it is me." He regarded her with a genuine smile, managing to surprise the spectators and partially mollify them a bit. "I understand why you would be asking though." The Prince continued turning Clarent slightly to regard his own reflection. "My current form is radically different from how I used to look, but I assure you, even though I'm a bit…taller, I'm still the very same stallion you got to meet."

"What…happened to you?" Fluttershy got even closer to him and raised a hoof that she places on his chest. "How did you even manage to…well, change like this?"

"And more importantly, how do you **SEE**?" Pinkie voiced her opinion, invading the Princes' space, and examining his eyes. "Did you see everything in red now? How does it feel having a magic mane? Does growing fangs hurt? Can you turn back and forward at will like a changeling? And most importantly... do you still remember us?" She asked in quick succession inspecting his body before looking at him with pleading eyes and pouty lips.

"Well, in that order: I trained quite hard for this duel. I created a new form of magic that allows me to transform into a pony of shadows at will. I see just fine, although the size difference has changed my perspective somewhat. No. It's rather chilly actually. Yes, a little, as well as feeling weird at first. Yes and no because in order to change, I need to stare at the moon for several moments, and my power level depends on the current phase, with a Blue Moon being my most powerful. To return to normal, I must rest indoors or in a place where the moon doesn't shine; and put your worries to rest, I know we still have that game of hiding and seek to finish, if that is what you are wondering." He finishes with an impish grin.

Pinkie gasped and tackled him into a hug that makes Blood Moon take a staggering step backward from the force.

"Bluey! It really _IS_ you!" She cheered in happiness while hugging him with all the force she could muster, which was quite substantial. Luckily, the armor the prince still wore held fast against her onslaught. Blood Moon's smile fell through when the metal itself began to groan under the sustained pressure.

_Jesus, how strong an earth pony can really get?_ The prince questioned silently before chuckling and returning the gesture. "I missed you too Pinkie, both of you actually. I'm so sorry that you got caught in the crossfire of all of... this mess." He tells them with some shame while gesturing with his head.

"Nah, it's ok." Pinkie ended the hug and dismissed Blood Moons words with a wave of her hoof. "We're used to crazy things happening to and around us; we get into situations like this all the time." She finished with a cheerful smile as Fluttershy nodded in silent agreement.

"Wow, you ladies really enjoy life to the fullest." Blood Moon mentioned in honest surprise, making Pinkie giggle at his reaction.

"Oh, if only you knew how much." Pinkie mumbled with a roll of her eyes. Her words seemed to help calm everything down, and the Prince started to notice how the tension around them had bled away, the audience finally beginning to breathe once more. Even the princesses seemed more calm and happy now that the tension had been broken.

"Wait!" Pinkie suddenly grabbed his attention again as well as his cheeks as she pressed their noses together "Did you say pony of shadows, as in…like what happened to Nightmare Moon?"

"Aye." Blood Moon answered and slowly pushed her away. "I suppose it was inevitable that some pony would ask me that question eventually. Yes Pinkie, in this form, I can be considered a stallion of shadows, just like Nightmare Moon."

"Why would you do that?" Fluttershy asked in confusion.

"Indeed." Everyone in the small group looked to the side and see Luna and Celestia landing near them as some pegasus guards moved in and began to escort Jet Set and Upper Crust out of the cage. The Prince only now realizing that with his new body, he was actually slightly taller than Luna. "Why would you willingly choose to become something like what I once was during one of the lowest points in my life?" Luna inquired, her sadness and self-loathing plain for all to see.

"Because that event made you into the great aunt that you are today." Blood Moon answered honestly, confusing everyone, save Celestia. Who, after the initial surprise, only smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Let me explain; while it is true that the tale of Nightmare Moon can be interpreted as the fall of a fair princess, one who surrendered to her inner demons. I, myself, prefer to see it as a tale of humility, and of how that, not even royalty is perfect." He took a step closer. "A story on how we all have flaws, and how those flaws are what make us who we are. It is a story about the importance of having the courage to accept those flaws and being better for knowing. After all, 'There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow pony; true nobility is being superior to your former self.'"

He places his hoof on her chest. "There is absolutely no shame in admitting it, Aunt Luna. Nightmare Moon is you, and you are she. You two are part of the same whole, and by admitting that she exists, you can find true inner peace and grow into a better version of yourself." He smiled kindly and removed his hoof from her chest. "That is why I chose to become Blood Moon, to honor your memory, and to show you and everypony else how powerful anyone can truly be if you find and accept your shadow as part of what you are."

"Blueblood I…I don't even know what to say I…I just-" Luna was incapable of conjuring words as she teetered on the verge of tears, genuinely moved by his speech. She couldn't help but finally feel accepted, as for millennia, she had always thought of Nightmare Moon as nothing more than one of her greatest shames; a memorial serving as a constant reminder of the horrible creature she once was and never wanted to be again. Yet here her nephew was, looking like a sinister reflection of that monster, but instead of disgust or anger, she felt an odd sense of happiness. It was like he was seeing her truly and loving her regardless of her flaws.

Unable to come up with anything, she resorted to merely going forward to hug him tightly in a loving embrace, several tears leaving her face in the process. "Thank you." was all she could utter as she tightened the hug even more.

"Citizens of Canterlot!" Celestia chose that moment to address the crowd. "Rejoice, for today, history has been made!" She takes a couple of steps forward. "Today our nephew has returned to us, and with his return, the end of the lockdown and crisis has finally arrived, as well as the discovery of a new form of magic!" She announced earning happy cheers from everyone present.

"Now, come on everypony. Just like Princess Celestia said, the Prince has returned, recovered his title AND become a nice shadow pony! It's time to celebrate! Let's Party!" Pinkie Pie shouted out, earning more cheers and yells from the audience, the ponies now eager to party.

Blood Moon chuckled at the reaction and ending his embrace with his Auntie. approaching the party planner, "I appreciate the thought Pinkie, but don't you think it's a bit rushed?"

"Oh come on Bluey, please let's party? Please, please, please pretty please?" She begged with puppy eyes and putting her hooves together.

"Pinkie is not that I don't want to, but making a party right now would be kind of impossible" He closed his eyes and started to list off the problems with that. "We need to remove this cage, get some decorations, come up with the food, find a DJ, maybe a dance floor, some drinks, chairs, and desks, a banner, and…how did she bloody do that...?" The Prince was left speechless when by the time he opened his eyes, everything he had been listing was already in place, and the cage had turned into some kind of party dome where ponies were already dancing or enjoying some food with the disco ball illuminating everything as it spun.

Pinkie only smirks and chuckles at his reaction. "Oh silly Bluey, never underestimate the power of an E.D.P!"

"E.D, what?"

"Emergency De-Escalation Party, duh!" She chided with a smile.

"It's just Pinkie Pie, don't overthink it," Fluttershy answered him, taking note of how confused he was by his explanation.

"I have so many questions right now."

"Just let them go Prince Blueblood, trust me, it will save you the headache." She warned.

"Well, …ok, if you say so." After a moment, the Prince decided to simply shrug it off and took Fluttershy's advice.

"Now come on! Let dance!" Pinkie exclaims as she starts to drag Blood Moon and Fluttershy out onto the dance floor.

The royal sisters soon hear a chuckle near them, and when looking for its source, they see the three mysterious mares approaching them. "I like that pink mare, she seems crazy." Pudding Head remarks with a smile.

"Of course you would; you two are practically clones," Platinum mentioned with a sideways glance.

"Heh, can I train them or what?" Hurricane approached Celestia with a proud smile. "Told you, my boy would clean the floor with those two!"

"Although he choked in the last part of the plan." Platinum mumbled in disappointment. "Looks like there is still too much to teach that stallion." She summarizes with a shake of her head.

"Indeed, and I have to say," Celestia regards the three mares with no small amount of curiosity, "My sister and I can't help but feel something familiar about you three."

"Indeed, have we meet in the past?" Luna asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I suppose a couple of thousand years would make you forget some old faces, right dearies?" Platinum tells them before taking a step closer. "Look at our faces you two, look closely." She suggests, and the princesses comply, until after a few seconds, they gasp and then look at the now garland covered statues before doing a rapid series of double takes.

"It's you!"

"Long time no see, eh Celestia? Just look at you. The two of you have grown into such beautiful and radiant princesses." Platinum commented with a proud smile.

"Glad to see the braces worked for you, Stardust!" Hurricane interjected to Luna, making her blush from embarrassment. "Commander Hurricane, please! That was a millennium ago!"

The three laughed at her reaction. "Oh you, always easy to embarrass, it never gets old. Listen there is much to talk about, and I'm sure there are lots of things you would like to tell us but what do you say we wait for tomorrow, hm?" Pudding Head suggested while pointing at Blood Moon dancing with Pinkie before they change partners. Now he was paired with Fluttershy who had a radiant blush on her cheeks. "Let him have this night for himself. Besides, it's a party! Time to have fun! Hurricane I see a table full of cider right there, and I'm ready to beat you once again in a drinking contest."

"Oh! you are so, on!" Hurricane accepted the challenge, and the two ran to said table.

"Oh no, you are not! We might not be the rulers anymore, but we still need to keep some semblance of decorum, as symbols of Equestria...hey! listen to me, you two knuckleheads!" Platinum scolded as she gives chase after her friends making the princesses laugh.

"Oh, how I missed the antics of those three," Luna shook her head. "But they are right sister, the night is young, why not enjoy it? The rest can wait for tomorrow."

"I couldn't agree more sister."

"But before that..." Discord suddenly appeared in front of them. "Perhaps you could address one slight little issue of a certain tall handsome and benevolent lord chaos who was kind enough to look after your nephew, and ensure that he went unharmed and safe while away from you? Hmm?" Discord goaded conjuring more claws to point at himself.

"While also keeping him a secret from us and let us worry ourselves sick for two whole weeks!" Celestia countered, her expression neutral.

"Small details and a certain princess needed to cool down a bit after the masquerade incident before getting any news." He quipped back his own neutral expression equal to Celestia's.

Luna let out a long-suffering sigh and rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Discord?"

"Oh, nothing much, a simple pat on the back, maybe a small thank you…"

"Thank you, Discord" Celestia flatly stated before starting to walk away before he could finish.

"…aaaaaand maybe an opportunity to chat more with my good pal Blueblood. After all, we have kind of become, well, the best of best buddies and if I could have a chance to visit more often. It wouldn't be such a problem, right?"

"…You only want that job as a royal jester don't you?" Luna summarized with her own poker face.

"Just give me five sessions to prove to you that they are worth it!" Discord broke the act and used his open claw to number the events.

"We will give you one test show" Celestia quickly reply

"What do you say, four?"

"Two!" She counters.

"Deal!" Discord agreed and giggled with mirth and pride before shaking the hand of another Discord who walked up to congratulate himself. "Discord you handsome devil, you did it again."

"Whatever" Luna and Celestia start to leave.

"Two shows with Celestia and two with Luna; this will be so great!" He clarifies in anticipation before leaving.

"Wait, two of each? Discord we never agreed to…" Celestia tried to stop him, but he was already gone.

"Ignore him, Tia, we will deal with him tomorrow. For now, let us enjoy this party." Luna calls out her. Celestia just nods and follows behind as they go dance with their nephew too.

Meanwhile, in her balcony, Scarlet finally managed to get rid of her writers high, as she lets go of her smoldering quills and panting slowly, she approached her balcony to see the celebration going on down below.

_And with that everything comes to a close_

She took a deep breath and recovered before looking at the castle where Jet Set and Upper Crust were most likely being taken and placed in custody. _Now, as I promised, it's my turn_ She shark-like smile spread itself malevolently across her face as she licked her lips before looking back at the party.

_Oh, my sweet, kind prince always the softy, you let them go easy, didn't you, honey pots? Don't worry, as your future marefriend, I will take care of everything from here on out._

She then goes back to her room and fills five cauldrons with water and boils them using heated rocks before tossing some dust into each one. the resulting puff of smoke followed by a gout of flame that formed a window, where the silhouette of a dragon, an anthropomorphic cat, a griffin, a changeling, and a diamond dog soon appeared.

"Hello, ladies." Scarlet addressed everyone with an evil smirk. "How are you this fine night? Still eager to seek some attention?"

All the ladies in the flame windows laughed in anticipation as a response. "You know it Scarly." The changeling confirmed.

"Anytime, anywhere, all. day. long" The dragon agreed with a lick of her lips.

"Just tell us who's feeling lonely Scarlet," The Griffin said, "We will take care of the rest!"

"I'm so happy to hear that," Scarlet responded with a sincere smile before it turned malevolent once more. "Because I have one particular doozie of a job for you." All of them soon started to laugh as Scarlet informed them of her plans.


	49. A Stallion Word

**A Stallion Word**

"Aaaaand, done. Here you go." While inside on an office in the castle, Blueblood finished signing his signature on the last of the reams of parchment before affixing the royal seal on it. Then levitated it to the same elderly stallion unicorn from back in Manehattan. With him, all the other ponies who gave over control of their businesses during his time in the city, all of which had similar contracts and were adorned costly and formal clothing, courtesy of Blueblood's endeavors.

"As I promised, your properties are now completely yours once more," He assured the gathering with a smile as he shakes his hoof a little from the pain and leans on his seat with a tired sigh. "Please feel free to inspect them; I will change or add anything that I have, *puff*, missed or forgotten, *puff* sorry, mane in my mouth." Ever since he returned to normal, the prince had been suffering from one little side effect of his transformation. That was, both the hair on his tail, mane and to a lesser degree, fur, while back to their original colors, retained the same length of when he was Blood Moon. This resulted in a ridiculous shaggy appearance, as it now covered his body and made it harder for him to see, walk, or even speak without tripping or getting a mouth full of hair. The former luckily was solved somewhat with a sling that one of the maids in the castle was kind enough to let the prince borrow for the day, and some light trimming solved most of his fur problem allowing him more movement.

Naturally, everyone that saw him couldn't help but let out a giggle, even Celestia herself was unable to resist the urge to hug her 'fluffy' nephew as she nicknamed him once she saw the state he was in. He didn't seem to mind and even joined in on the giggles, telling everyone that he would take care of his predicament after he took care of some final issues that needed to be addressed first, namely giving back the businesses he borrowed being on top of his list.

"Hmm... yeah, everything seems in order." The old pony nodded before putting the contract away again. "But I have to say, I'm surprised you kept your word; do you have any idea of how much money you are giving up right now?"

"I'm with Old Oak here," Another stallion spoke up. "This contract is completely one-sided, you are left with nothing here," He continued, surprised. "Is that ok with you?"

"I honestly wouldn't mind if you kept a bit of the capital assets for yourself. If you helped us this much in one month, just imagine what could you do in a whole year," The florist mare interjected.

"Yeah, plus it was fun having around the store. Are you sure you want to leave?"

"Absolutely," He states with an air of finality and a nod. "I appreciate the offer, but money is no concern for me, and my place is here with my family. Those shops were always yours, and yours alone to make a profit from, and as a stallion of my word, I did promise that I would return them to you. Just promise me one thing," He sighed and looked out of the window. "There are a lot of ponies out there that are still unemployed thanks to what happened with Fort Knox," He looked back at them. "With how big your businesses have bloomed, you will need more employees in your enterprises, so…"

"Say no more, sonny," Oak stopped him before he could continue. "Any mare or stallion willing to earn a living by the sweat of their brows will always be welcome."

"Thanks, everyone." The prince nodded before smirking. "And if you still feel a bit bad about leaving me without nothing, maybe I will just float the idea to my aunts about a slight increase in enterprise taxes."

Everyone looked at him with equal parts surprise and fear before he laughed and shook his head. "Kidding, kidding, I would never do that. Those bits are yours; you earned them fair and square. If anything, maybe you will have to pay a bit less in taxes for a while, now that Equestria has gotten rid of its little financial crisis, and got some interest to boot."

"Oh, you got us going in there for a second, you rascal you." One stallion commented as they all shared a laugh.

"Heh, I like you Blueblood, you're a nice lad," Old Oak admitted with a smile before pulling what looked like a checkbook. "And that is why I can't simply leave you with your hooves empty." He wrote something down and ripped the cheque out before handing it over to him, and Blueblood almost choked when he read the amount. "Wow...Old Oak, I think you made a mistake, there are like, seven additional zeros here, you didn't mean to…"

"Just take it already." Oak insisted with a smirk, pressing the check back to the prince. "Believe me, with how many bits you made me, that is nothing, so keep that as my thanks for your help. Now, do yourself a favor and go use it to buy yourself a nice manecut, ok?"

"Me too."

"Same."

"You are technically quitting so by law you still need to accept your severance pay!"

One by one the other ponies followed the example of Old Oak and gave the prince checks for rather ludicrous sums of money, before then saying their goodbyes and leaving the office with a smile on their faces. When the final pony left, the prince was left alone with his rewards while he pondered what to do with all of it.

_Huh, so this is your reward for using those dirty deal tactics, for good instead of for personal gain. Have to say, its an excellent sensation, perhaps the business world wasn't as bad as I initially thought it was_.

He levitated one of the checks up _Hmm maybe I could use these funds to help the charities of Equestria and help fix some of the more pressing issues with the cities _His eyes suddenly widened in realization_ …Like I could have done, from the start in my previous life._

He groaned in annoyance and brought up a hoof in front of his face. "God, I'm the prince of idiots."

A light chuckle snapped him back to reality.. Looking up, Blueblood found the same old blind mare that sent him to Despero, and once again noticed how the colors of the world faded all around himself and the mare. "Not bad, kid." She continued to chuckle while morphing into the ghostly mare he met when he defeated Fort Knox, "Not bad at all."

"That was you?" The prince looked to her in surprise.

She stopped chuckling and nodded. "I apologize for interfering, but in order for you to confront yourself…" She conjured a red flame in mid-air with the silhouette of a pony inside. "A …bit of rational thinking was needed, especially when dealing with those emotions of yours." She extinguished the flame and dispersed the illusion with her hoof before addressing him.

"Pride and Envy, the eternal whisper in your ear who can help you achieve greatness, yet when consumed by it, they can blinded you from reality and sent you into the abyss. To confront and defeat not one but the two of them simultaneously, it more than worthy of praise, then again, like what happened with Fort Knox, this was a fight you already faced, am I not correct?"

The prince sighed and looked down. "If you mean back when I was human. Yes, I'm more than familiar with them. I virtually lived them." He confessed piteously.

"And now you can finally move on from them, now that you have faced your past and yourself."

The prince nodded and smiled as she looks at her. "Thanks, so it's safe to say that my tests are confronting ponies that embody the seven deadly sins?"

To his surprise, the spirit shook her head in response. "Although it is true you will face said sins on your journey, defeating the pony embodying them will not complete the test. Do not get overconfident your highness. So far, you have only faced the sins with which you learned to live and understand. From now on, though, the remaining four will make you venture into unknown territory. They will truly test your resolve by seducing you into embracing them. It would be wise for you to keep your guard up." She conjured the six-element marks on her hoof "And keep your friends close. From here on out, the real challenges will soon come; be alert." She warns him before her body started to shine.

Knowing what it meant, the prince stood up and approached the mare, "Wait, there is still so much I want to ask!" He pleaded to her.

"A story for another time perhaps prince, nos eht evil gnol." The ghost announces, once again speaking backwards.

"At least tell me your name," He asked her as the light grew brighter.

"Many names over the centuries had known me, but if you truly wish to know my story and origin, then you can call me Fortune, loyal recorder of everything that is." She informed him before disappearing in a flash of light which blinded the prince for a second before his eyes could readjust.

_Fortune, recorder of everything that is? Something about that seems…familiar._

"Sir?" With a start, Blueblood snapped back to reality and looked up and saw a guard observing at him confused.

"Y-Yeah?"

"I just wanted to tell you that, as you asked to be, the trial of Jet Set and Upper Crust is about to start." He announced, making the prince jump and dash out of the room. "The trial! I almost forgot, thank you!" He shouted to the guard as he made a mad dash before tripping on his tail, resulting in a crash with a set of armor.

"Your Highness!" The guard pony rushed to his side, but Blueblood was already up and running again. "I'm ok! Tell the maids that I'm sorry about that!" He apologized as he continued his dash to the courtroom.

The guard could only blink in confusion as he watched him leave.

After some more stumbles and almost falling through an open window, the prince finally was able to reach the entrance of the courtroom where Princess Luna approached while keeping her head low and holding back a tired yawn. Her schedule, unfortunately, was forcing her to stay awake in the morning thanks to both incidents taking place at night and therefore on her night shift. Plus, Celestia was busy reopening the trading services and ensuring that no contraband would get into her borders while the country was going through the process of removing the lockdowns and blockades.

"Aunt Luna, wait!" Blueblood called out and would have crashed into her if she didn't catch him on her aura.

"Nephew? What is the matter? Is there another emergency…and what happened to your mane and fur?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow once she took stock of his condition.

"Just a minor side effect of becoming a pony of shadows."

"Side effects?!" Luna pressed in alarm.

"Don't worry Auntie, is just the fur I swear, there is nothing to worry about, I will deal with it later." He clarified while she put him down. "For now I was curious. What is going to happen to them?" Blueblood asked, pity evident as he looked to the courtrooms set of double doors.

Luna sighed and massaged the side of her head. "I'm not completely sure yet, hence this trial. The issue with them tampering in the first duel was more or less resolved, but that was only on account of their cheating, and you're accepting of it. Now, this trial will focus on their manipulation of the law, and aggression against royal-DON'T say it!" She lifted her hoof before Blueblood could speak. "Even though you agreed, they did so without sufficient authority, and that still counts as aggression. That is us having mercy on them. They are lucky we didn't charge them with conspiracy and attempted regicide. By my stars, this one will be a long trial." She complained in annoyance.

"Is this quite necessary? I think Blood Moon made them suffer enough." Blueblood tried to tell her.

"Nephew, it is sweet that you are willing to have mercy for your enemies, but this can't be resolved with a slap on the hoof. They attacked a member of the crown on their own free will, so forcing them to speak only in Guilt Belt and Soil Land*, verbs will not suffice this time."  
_**(*Pony Equivalents of Gilbert and Sullivan operas.)**_

"Oh yeah, what happened to Rarity" Blueblood chuckled at the memory.

"So if you excuse me..." Luna was about to enter, but Blueblood stopped her once more. "Wait, how about sentencing them to home arrest?" He quickly suggested.

"Too soft." She responded with a shake of her head.

"No, I mean your version of that sentence? It would be fitting; they forced me into exile. I say we give them the same thing." Blueblood continued to press as Luna held the doorknob. "Cut them off from the rest of the world, throw them into isolation in a place where they can see Canterlot moving forward without them. I'm pretty sure those two are pretty big fans of gossip, imagine how much it will kill them not knowing what happens outside, or worse what other nobles will start saying about them." Blueblood elaborated while Luna remained still.

"I will think about it, now I would advise you to keep some distance from me while your mane is like that nephew," She tells him with a yawn.

"Why?" He inquired, confused by the random statement.

"Because it's 10:40 am; I should be sleeping by this time, and right now you are starting to look like a pillow with hooves," She replies as she slowly starts to lean forward. "One cushy and fluffy pillow, with legs…maybe I could rest my eyes for just a second and…"

"Got it; take away the temptation. Just wanted to tell you about the option, now if you excuse me, there are a couple of things I need to do before getting a haircut." Blueblood quickly nodded and took a step away from Luna fearing that she would fall asleep the second her head touched his fur. Recovering from her daze, the princesses saw her nephew starting to leave, "And nephew, once you finish your list, go straight to Doctor Caliber for a check-up."

"What? Why? Auntie, I told you I'm fine!"

"Not up to discussion, that is an order young man!" She pressured. "And I expect a copy of his report afterward."

The prince sighed in defeat, "Fine," the prince complied and then left her alone so she could enact the trial in peace.

"Such a nice, kind prince," Scarlet cooed out, making her presence known. Appearing from a nearby column and capturing Luna's attention, who glared at the new arrival. "He is right by the way." Scarlet looked at Luna with a smirk. "Not being able to partake in some daily gossip will be Tartarus for those two, plus it might be for the best interests of both of us."

"Step lightly, Miss Lips," Luna warns her. "I'm grateful for your help defending our family, as well as aiding us in keeping the peace in Canterlot during the crisis, but you have yet to earn our trust."

"But of course. It is perfectly understandable, and I have nothing but respect for family members who only look after the best interests of their children," She continues with a smile and raised one of her hooves, "Especially when they keep their promises."

"Indeed, as promised. Seeing as it doesn't seem too extreme or Inequine, I will grant you your request to partake in the sentencing of Jet Set and Upper Crust, but you better not break my trust Scarlet, or the noble couple will not be the only ones that will face judgment from me." She warned Scarlet before closing to stare the smaller mare in the eye while maintaining her calm. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

The Princess then sighed and turned around to enter the courtroom. "Let's get this over with."

"Right behind you…Auntie."

Luna stopped dead in her tracks while her face hardened into a fierce scowl. Without looking at Scarlet Luna growled out. "Don't you ever say that again." Scarlet only giggled in response as they both entered.

Sometime later, Blueblood waited patiently for his aunt Celestia who, unfortunately, was busy signing, reading, and writing all sorts of documents that had been piling up. All of them required her attention. "I'm sorry Blueblood, but because of the lockdown, the state of emergency, and your masquerade event, work has been piling up and needs my full attention, I promise that I will be with you as soon as I address the most urgent matters."

"It's ok, and I will not take long. I just have a quick question, and then I will be out of your mane auntie," The prince assured, trying not to make her even more stressed as her secretary kept passing documents for her to see, approve or reject in quick succession. Despite that, she took a glance at him while continuing to work.

"Which is?"

"Can Amber and Stellar return to their positions as my guards?"

Celestia suddenly stopped as her eyes widened. "By the old gods, your guards! I completely forgot about them!" She exclaimed and was about to speak when her secretary showed the documents again. "Sorry, dear, there still too much to do." Celestia sighed only to have a burst of inspiration suddenly. Summoning a scroll, the Princess quickly passed to Blueblood. "Here is a royal authorization for reassignment of the royal guard. Just tell Stellar and Amber to sign it, and they can go back to being your bodyguards without any problems." She instructed before refocusing her attention back on the documents. "You will find them in the dungeon."

"The dungeon!?" Blueblood eyes widened in shock at that admission.

"On guard duty! I put them to guard the prisoners!" Celestia quickly clarified.

"Oh, yeah, yeah that makes more sense."

"Now, not to be rude or anything but do you think…?"

"… Don't worry. I will leave now."

"Thank you, and once again I'm sorry, but I need to get this done as quickly as possible." She apologized before getting back to work.

Blueblood nodded and left her in peace to tackle the prodigious amount of documents that were awaiting her signature.

_Jesus and that is only with day court? How did she manage to stay sane all those years moving the sun and the moon by herself?_ The prince pondered, imagining her misery as he closed the door behind him and heads straight to the dungeon.

As he descended the levels of the castle, the light of the day soon was replaced by torches and hooded lanterns, illuminating the way as the prince continued to descend the stone stairs deeper beneath the castle until eventually, he reaches the lowest level in the castle. Rows upon rows of jail cells extend as far as the eye could see. Some of their occupants take glances at the prince as he advances, searching for his friends. Finally, at the far corner where a single bar window let some sunshine slip through, Blueblood managed to find not only the same crime bosses he helped arrest but Stellar and Amber guarding their cell wearing regular royal guard uniforms and armor.

The sound of his hooves on the stone floor soon alerted the two who lowered their weapons towards him. "Halt! Who goes there?!" Amber commanded.

"Stand down soldier," Blueblood responded as he stepped up and into the light. "I'm just here to see my friends," He told the two of them with a knowing smile. Amber and Stellar regarded him, confusion evident on their faces. "Your…highness?" Amber asked, squinting her eyes a little to see him better. "Is that you?"

"Oh, right, my mane." Blueblood pulled some of his hair so they can see him better, earning a gasp from the two.

"There, see? It's me, Blueblood."

"Prince Blueblood it is you!" After having a good look at the prince, both broke protocol and brought him into a hug "Oh thank the stars you're safe and sound. Stellar and I…" Both mares realized what they were doing and quickly ended the hug before taking a step back with matching blushes.

"I…I mean we are glad to see you that you have returned to us, your highness, we can only imagine how much bliss your return brought to the princesses," She adjusted her tone and avoided making eye contact as Stellar just nodded rapidly in agreement, making the prince chuckle a little.

"I'm glad to see you two, as well" His expression turned into one of wonder "Although I'm also confused, you two are both some of the best soldiers Equestria has ever had, the elite in the rankings, the very best. Why are you here on guard duty? Not that is anything wrong with that of course but from what Shining Armor has told me about your exploits, this…seems like a waste of your talents."

Both mares lowered their heads and sighed "The month you disappeared was pretty harsh on all of us your highness" Amber confessed, looking back at him "The day after your exile, Princess Celestia was understandably livid for what happened, honestly we were with her, the only thing we wanted to do was to bring you back safely and capture the scoundrels that tried to end your life"

_The assassin_ Blueblood nodded once.

"Yet her highness had other plans for us, and after we failed so miserably protecting the castle…me in particular." Amber clenched her teeth in guilt, surprising the prince with that reaction before Stellar put a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her. "A punishment was in order."

"Amber…what exactly happen?" The prince asks, worry etched in all of his features.

"The princess demoted us, your highness" Both raised their heads and looked back at him.

"De–Demoted you?!" Blueblood asked, shocked as they nodded.

"To foot soldiers, with orders to guard the dungeons. That is why we are here, wearing these uniforms," Amber explains in sorrow.

"But that…that seems too extreme. What happened that night was something beyond your control."

"Be that as it may, what's done is done. We have our new assignments, and we will fulfill our duty no matter what until further notice." Amber responded with determination, "That is our code, obligation, and honor as royal guards of Equestria."

Stellar nodded and both returned to their posts.

The prince smiled and pulled out the scroll Celestia had given him. "Then, you can consider your assignment completed."

Both looked at him confused as he levitated the scroll to them, "Like I said, being here is a waste of your talents. You both deserve positions that fits your capabilities. One that I would love to have you back in. That is, of course, if you would like to have it back."

"Your Highness this is…I mean," Amber read the document carefully before looking at Blueblood again "You want to take us on as your guards again?" She asked incredulously, "Even after we…after I…" She looked away, confusing the prince again.

"Of course! I would love to have you both back again as my guards; at first, I had my reservations about having two guards following everywhere. But you have become more than just my bodyguards. You two are my friends." He assured them with a smile, "And nothing would make me happier than having my friends with me once more."

"But I…I failed," She insisted still not making eye contact with him "I put so many ponies at risk."

"Amber?" The prince looked at her, confused.

"C…can I think about it?" She finally looked back at him.

"Um... sure, take as much time as you wish" He then looked to Stellar as well "Both of you, don't get me wrong, this isn't an order. You can easily say no. Just tell me what other assignments you wish to have, and I will see to it that you get it" He assured them with a pained, forced smile, trying to mask his disappointment.

"Thank you, highness, that is all we ask for," She informed him with a nod.

"Of course, once you have reached your decision, you know where to find me then." He tells them before beginning to walk away "Well, I should probably be going. There are still some things that I need to take care of today. It was…nice talking with you two. I hope we can catch up on things some other time."

"Another moment, sir!" Amber called out, her eyes wide with fear, "Please don't wander too far from the castle!"

"I can't make any promises," Blueblood replied, disappearing in the hallways. Once he was gone, Stellar glare at her friend.

"Don't look at me like that, I made the right call, and you know why, I can't go back to the field, not yet."

Stellar raised an eyebrow in response.

"I can't!"

Stellar only sighed and shook her head before looking ahead of herself.

"…you know, there is no need for you to suffer here with me, if you want, you can take the offer and…"

Stellar shook her head and planted her hooves firmly on the ground, making Amber sighed and shook her head.

"You're a stubborn mule, guilt-tripping me with the loyalty card? That's a low blow."

Stellar responded by smirking back to her friend "…Shut up!" Amber responded in irritation as they went back to their work.


	50. Verdict

**Verdict **

_With special guest, Mr. Bean!_

The silence in the courtroom was deafening and only grew with every second that passed. Upper Crust and Jet Set felt as if they were losing gallons of water from sweating as they kept waiting for the verdict of the jury. Luna kept them both transfixed with a stern gaze on both of them. By now they were now sweating a river, eyes darting their back and forward in a futile effort that somehow, a way out would present itself for them. The whole situation brought a bright smile to Commander Hurricane as she watched from the gallery with glee, happy to see justice served.

_Serves them right; that's what you get for soiling the sacred tradition of a duel! _

Eventually, a group of twelve ponies re-entered the court and took their respective seats. "Has the jury reached a verdict?" Luna asked.

"We have, your highness," One pegasus mare replied. Standing up, as she continued, "We, the members of the jury, find the accused guilty of abuse of power, perjury, and assault on the crown."

The color of Jet Set and Upper Crust's fur fled their bodies when the princess nodded in confirmation before slowly turning to regard the noble pair. "That is all I wanted to hear."

"Y–Your Highness please, have mercy on us, we were fools playing with fire, we learned our lesson, we promise that it will not…" Jet tried to say something, but Luna silenced him with a bang of her gavel.

"SILENCE!" She commanded with the Royal voice, causing both of them to flinch and took a step back.

"Jet Set and Upper Crust. A jury of your peers has tried you and found you guilty on all charges, with this verdict, and the severity of your crimes, I find myself of the opinion that an appropriate punishment for you would be to cover you two in honey and place you in a cage in the middle of Everfree forest for the remainder of your miserable lives if not all of eternity!" She yelled at them with glowing white eyes, making them screech in panic.

Luna softens her gaze and sighs before sitting back on her chair again. "But since that form of capital punishment was banned over five hundred years ago, and ironically, your involvement helped resolve the economic crisis in its own twisted way, Blood Moon gave you a form of punishment, and my nephew illogically, plead that I have mercy on your miserable hides, I'll offer you a choice."

The room was soon filled with whispers as the nobles looked at her in confusion, Luna continued.

"Due to the severity of your crimes, I present you with two options: Your first choice is to spend the next three years on Gelid Maiden with all of your monies, assets, and sources of income reclaimed or nationalized by the crown, there you will be cut off from the public completely. Your second choice will see you sentenced to house arrest and community service until the crown revokes your sentence; Again, your monies, assets, and funds shall be seized or nationalized and repurposed. Necessities such as food and medicine shall be provided to you, and your only form of contact with the outside world will be with visiting hours and mandatory re-education and evaluation sessions with a specialist to reform you from your previous behavior. Once we are satisfied that you have realized the errors of your ways and reformed, you will be reintegrated back into society." She explained. "What is going to be?"

"Might the...privilege of receiving the daily newspaper be put to the discussion?" Jet Set asked hesitantly before his wife jabbed him hard in the ribs, making him hold his chest and kneel trying to get back his breath.

"Please ignore that; we will take the house arrest offer. Thank you, your highness," Upper informed the court and bowed, her husband soon doing the same as best he could. "Your kindness can only be matched with your wisdom princess, thank you so much for having mercy on these two poor souls."

"Not so fast!" The couple looked back at her as she glared at them both. "Do not misunderstand my actions. This mercy comes not from me, but from my nephew, you live and serve only because of his kindness and because he believes that you both should be allowed the opportunity to redeem yourselves. This doesn't mean you are yet safe from punishment. To give you an idea of what happens if you mess up this only chance…" Luna turns to one of her guards "…Guards! Their right hoofs." She orders pointing to the noble couple.

The guards looked at her, confused but follower her orders approaching the pair, drawing their swords, making Jet Set and Upper Crust flinch and hold their hoofs tightly towards their barrels.

"What? NO! I mean grab their hooves so they can't move away." Luna clarified when she noticed where this was going.

The guards nodded, sheathing their blades before restraining the couple. As they stretched their hoofs out in front of them, Jet Set and Upper Crust watched as the princess flew down from the judge's bench. "Before I proclaim this case closed, there is something I would like to teach you." She charged her horn and then in front of her a single nearly transparent thread appeared. "Meet a single hair of the Dendrocnide Moroides**, or as it more commonly called 'The suicidal plant,' do you know why it has that particular name?" Luna asks as she slowly levitated the hair closer to their hooves. The second it made contact-

The entire room went white with shock as they listened to how the two ponies screamed in complete and utter agony just from the light touch until Luna summoned a liquid that she poured on their hoofs, ending the pain.

Once they recovered their breathing, Luna spoke again. "What you experienced was a single stinger from this plant of nightmares, one that I increased in size so you could see it. That is right, the hair that this plant has is microscopic, and believe you me, every single one will hurt just as much. So tell me, what do you think would happen if a hair managed to find its way into your eyes? Or if you inhaled it by accident?"

Both ponies gulped in terror at the implications. "I think we understand each other. Now, my nephew wanted me to have mercy on your souls and trusts that you can learn your lesson. The stars know why, but he does. He has been kind to you, and against my better judgment, I have decided to listen to him and give you a minor punishment." She continued to get closer to them. "But mark my words, the very second you dare break that trust, next time you are in a court, things will go down MY way, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that you two, take a nice looooong bath in a tub full of the plants that produce these hairs. Do I make myself clear?" She threatened the two as they nod rapidly, sweating like there is no tomorrow.

"Good." Luna returned to her bench and took up her gavel. "You can release them now, guards." The royal guards compiled and released the two sentenced. "I Princess Luna, do hereby sentence you into house arrest, indefinitely, with all of your sources of income claimed by the crown. Further, you are sentenced and compelled to attend rehabilitation sessions with ponies chosen by my sister or me." She hit the gavel on the podium. "Case closed. Guards, escort Mrs. Crust and Mr. Set back to their home, and prepare it with the necessary spells on a house arrest protocol."

"At once, your highness." One guard responded with a salute before they take the couple away as the ponies in the courtroom slowly began to file out.

"House arrest? Really!? That is it? You are going to let them walk away just like that?" Hurricane hissed out, approaching Luna both confused and angry. "At least cover the place with that plant, just to be safe, please?"

"Trust me, I thought about it, but those hairs can blow off too easily, Commander," Luna responds with a sigh. "It would simply be too risky."

"Damn it, Rookie! Why did you have to be so soft on them?" Hurricane complained under her breath before she shook her head. "Gosh, I hate how soft Equestria had become when it comes to punishments."

"…Not that soft." Luna responded with a smile as she flies back next to her gaining Hurricane's attention.

"Huh?"

Luna sees how Scarlet winks at her before marching off, giving the princess a small shiver down her spine. "Let just say; those two should have asked for clarification into what entitles 're-education' sessions." She responded with a smile before leaving.

"Stardust, what did you do? And will it make me happy?" Hurricane asks, intrigued as Luna yawns.

"It will suffice, and I will explain later on in the evening. Until then, good day Commander," Luna finished before charging her horn.

"Stardust don't you dare…" But before she could finish her protest, Luna was already gone, making her grumble. "God damn it!" She sighed before looking at the window where she can see the noble couple being escorted to their home. "Calm down Hurricane, calm down, just let them go. It's not worth it to stay mad..." She chanted to herself, trying to calm down. "You will find out tonight, gosh I need a drink." She then notices several guards walking through the hallway. "Hey, tin cans! Any of you know where the nearest bar is?" She calls out chasing after the group of guards.

Meanwhile

The Prince marched to his next destination of the day when the unmistakable smell of pastries and cookies assaulted his nose and immediately made his stomach growl. A smile spread across his face while he detoured towards the kitchen. Inside, he was not surprised to find that both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were currently working while sharing recipes with none other than Chancellor Pudding Head. All three mares were singing a happy tune while baking another batch of cookies, the pile of pastries was slowly starting to form around them.

"I see you three have been busy," The Prince remarked, with a slow whistle as he admires their hard work.

"Bluey!" Pudding and Pinkie both look at him with a smile and a wave. "Still haven't taken care of your little issue, I see." Pudding replied with a smirk.

"Aw, I don't mind, I like hugging fluffy Blueblood!" Pinkie scolded with a smile making the prince chuckle.

"I will take care of that later, but first, I wanted to talk to you before you went back to Ponyville. But I see there was something you wanted to do before leaving," he says, gazing meaningfully at all the food.

"Well, of course, there is! This is Chancellor Pudding Head that we are talking about here! Bluey?! Chancellor. Pudding. Head." Pinkie exclaimed punctuating her last words for emphasis. "Do you have any idea of the stories her dishes have inspired thought out the history of cooking? Some of her recipes are the stuff of legends!" Pinkie gossiped in excitement, catching the Prince entirely off guard.

"They are?" He asked, looking at Pudding Head, who nodded with a small smile.

"There has yet to be a pony that can match me in the kitchen, Prince. What do you think this hat stands for?"

"I…mostly though it was a fashion choice." The Prince answered a little sheepishly.

"And a tasty snack!" Pudding added as she reached up and grabbed an actual scoop of pudding from her head before eating it.

"A snack hat! Genius, why didn't I think of that!" Pinkie blurted out, totally impressed.

"Because you are still thinking inside the box, kid." Pudding answered. "Sometimes, instead of asking why you shouldn't? You should ask why not?"

"So true."

"Now come on, let's see what you got!" She extolled the party mare before casting a critical eye to Pinkie's latest dish. Blueblood meanwhile, turned his attention to Fluttershy.

"How long have those two been cooking?"

"Since this morning; Pinkie even asked for my help before they started, she wanted to impress the Chancellor," Fluttershy answers with a shy smile. "Although I can't blame her too much. When I was a filly, my mom used to tell me stories of the chancellor and how her dishes were capable of saving Equestria from going to war on more than one occasion."

"Oh boy…I hope that's an exaggeration." Blueblood mumbled to himself while looking away, then turning his attention back to the two other mares. "I mean while I trained with her, Princess Platinum, and Commander Hurricane, I tasted some of her food, and she was pretty good, but I didn't know she was that good."

"That's because I had very little to work with Prince, buuuut just you wait! Tonight I am going to cook you something that will make your taste buds do a backflip, and school those two noobs!" Pudding promised confidently before resuming work.

"Two?" Blueblood questioned before looking at Fluttershy. "You are going to enter in their little cookoff?"

"Oh no, she was referring to Mr. Baked Bean." Fluttershy clarified.

"Who?"

"Right here, sir." Following the source of the voice, the Prince gasped and took a step back at the sight of a brawny giant of an earth pony. Who stood in front of a cutting board and was chopping celery with the skill and precision of a master chef. He had yellow fur, light brown short cut mane, and tail, a cutie mark of pages on top of what looks like a sun. The stallions appearance was completed by a chef's uniform that barely contained his ripped and chiseled body and a simple white apron.

When seeing his reaction, Bean couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "Sorry about that your highness, ponies usually get afraid at first but don't worry, I'm just one big teddy bear." He assured the Prince as he finished chopping the celery before putting the pieces in a bowl and then cleaning his hoofs with his apron. "The name is Baked Bean, by the way, and I would gather that you have no recollection of who I am, correct?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as the Prince can only shake his head in response.

"Yep, I figured as much, well better get the basics out of the way, I'm the royal head chef of the castle, a prolific writer and adventurer…" He then turned to Pudding Head with a smirk. "…and soon to be the stallion that will take the title of the best chef in Equestria from the current champion." He announced with pride, making Pudding Head match his expression.

"We will see about that!"

Baked returned his attention to the Prince. "Anyway, since I don't think we have ever talked even once, it is nice to meet you for the first time, your highness, formally."

"L…Likewise." The Prince answered, finally recovering from the shock.

_Dear God, just the muscles in his hooves are bigger than my head! He is not a pony; he is the incredible Hulk painted yellow! What is he doing on a kitchen?_ The Prince thought, still processing how huge Baked Bean was.

Fluttershy giggled and approached Blueblood. "Don't worry, Blueblood. I was surprised when I saw him first, too."

"They are quite the eyesore, aren't they?" Bean remarked with a smirk snapping Blueblood back to reality. "Sorry, sorry I didn't mean to stare just, I never thought that I would see an earth pony capable of getting this buff…" _Well not without been covered in gold and going into a rampage, at least. _"…or find one, working as a chef."

"Well, what can I say, your highness? A good diet and regular exercise will do that to your body too, and there is more to a book than just the cover, right?"

"Oh, dear God! I'm so sorry, and I didn't mean to assume anything, really I just…I just did, did I?" Blueblood confessed, looking down in shame.

"Hey, it ok your highness it is." Bean approached him in concern, offering a surprisingly gentle pat to the shoulder of the Prince. "You didn't offend me, and I understand where you're coming from, it's not that often that you see a chef this buff, right? I get that question all the time." He consoled, trying to cheer the Prince up.

"Maybe, but still that does not excuse to be assuming things," Blueblood argued back weakly, still feeling wrong about what he implied.

"Like me assuming that you were about to bring about another eternal night when you transformed into a pony of shadows?" Baked Bean replied while crossing his forelegs while cocking his head to the side, showing genuine concern.

"Yeah exactly like…" Blueblood stopped for a moment before looking at the chef who smiled and then sighed with a slow chuckle and shake his head. "Touche."

"So let's say, we both were wrong and just moved on? Hmm, what do you say?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all," Blueblood nodded at the proposal, "So…do you mind if I ask how you ended up so big anyway?"

"Not at all your highness! Although it is a bit of a long story and its not all that great. Though if you still wish to hear it…"

"Oh! Oh! I want to hear it too!"

"Me too!" Pudding Head and Pinkie Pie exclaimed in near unison before getting in front of Baked Bean while enjoying some of the pastries that they had made. Pinkie even gave Fluttershy and Blueblood bags of popcorn. Fluttershy who looked confused, rolled with it as one does when they know Pinkie for long enough.

"Ah, this is not exactly a campfire story either." Baked Bean protested seeing how the mares were looking at him expectantly.

"Storytime!" They say in unison.

"Better tell them, Mr. Bean, trust me. Pudding Head loves to hear stories." Blueblood commented with a knowing smirk as he decided to enjoy the offer treat.

"Same with Pinkie," Fluttershy added, and the mares nodded rapidly in agreement.

He sighs and shakes his head with a chuckle "Well if you insist, back when I but a simple colt of Baltimare, I used to be a part of a hoofball team in my school. However, we weren't exactly front-page material. But by Celestia did we have fun playing the game. We played with all our heart!" He began, reminiscing of the good old days. "This was before I took my training more seriously by the way so…just imagine me smaller, thinner, and not very athletic."

That comment made Pinkie gasp. "You used to be thin and small? No way!"

Bean only chuckled and nodded. "Yeah I know, quite the transformation, am I right? Anyway, there was this one year where our team was doing good, and I mean real good. All of our sacrifices finally started to pay off, and we were giving our opponents a run for their bits. We honestly started to think we had a shot when we qualified to participate in a tournament between schools." He tells in excitement.

"Naturally, we were all pumped up and looking forward to playing with the big boys at the time. Yeah, it sounds silly now, but for colts in high school, a tournament like that was a huge deal. Unfortunately, our coach took the celebration too far. We were all underage back then, but he thought that we all could use a little "reward" from our efforts…in the form of a bottle of hard whiskey." He mentioned in sorrow.

"Oh, my goodness! Did…Did you all drink it?" Fluttershy asks, and to her horror, he nods.

"We were young and stupid back then, and the coach keeps saying that one sip, wouldn't be a problem…until one sip became two, two became a glass, a glass became half a bottle and then…" the chef closed his eyes and shook his head. "I…don't want to go into the details so let's say, the very next day we all had regrets of the night before. One of our friends even almost ended up hurting himself badly."

The collective gasp at that led to Bean only sighed and shook his head. "By sheer luck, none of us were expelled, and all the blame was placed on the coach who was fired almost immediately. That was probably the hardest time in my life; we all still wanted to play in the tournament, but with what happened that night, the passion we had was all gone, and a lot of us were starting to question if we deserved a shot at the game. During that time my mom came to me, and when I told her how I wanted to quit the team, she patted my head and asked me 'will you be ok, in letting go of that opportunity?'" He smiled and nodded at the memory before looking at them again.

"It took me a while to understand, but when it did, I remembered why I joined the team in the first place; it was to have fun. To make friends, and to learn the value of doing something with passion. That's what I loved the most in those games. I just couldn't let the mistakes of one lousy coach ruin it for my friends and I. So with my dad helping as the new coach and with a new objective in my mind. I did the only thing I could." He continued with pride.

"It's not exactly to brag or anything, but all the ponies on my family are all pretty decent chefs, and we own a very respectable restaurant. So, for the sake of my friends, I decided to follow in the family footsteps."

"Yay!" Pinkie and Pudding Head cheered at that point. "Cooking saves the day!" Making the royal chef chuckle,

"Not quite ladies, but it did help reignite the passion we had for hoofball, and by the stars, my mom was right. Even when we didn't win, playing in that tournament was one of the best memories I have, especially the celebratory meal we all held right after it finished. We even invited the other teams to join in, and I gladly took on the task of serving all of them!" He tells in confidence. "Seeing all their happy faces and sharing stories filled me with pride and happiness, and that event helped me find out what I wanted to do in my life. That feeling I had from seeing everyone eating happily, the adventure we all had, and the ordeals we went through to get to those happy endings. I needed to record it somehow, so soon after I graduated and I finished my first book inspired by that event. I went on a tour throughout the world, seeking adventures, stories, and tasty new foods."

"Wow," Pudding said, impressed by the story as he flexed his muscle a little. "Yep, from the cold mountains of Yakyakistan to the smoldering valleys of the Dragon Lands, I have wandered the entire planet. Don't know when or how exactly it happened, but when I looked at my reflection one day, and I found myself having this bulky body." He concluded with no small measure of embarrassment.

"And that is how you got so buff then!" The Prince exclaimed as he nodded.

"Yeah, sorry for not saying it right away, but I just love to tell that story," Bean confessed, and Blueblood shook his head. "It ok, you simply are passionate about your job."

"Yep, and once I was done, I came back since Canterlot was, ironically, the final place I hadn't visit, and when I found out the horrors that other ponies pass off as "food" here. I knew that I needed to do something about it. So I requested a job at the castle and here I am now," He finished his tale with a small bow, "happily doing the same thing I have been doing since I was a colt, bringing smiles to ponies with my cooking, going on the occasional adventure, writing more books, and sharing stories with my friends."

He looks at one particular picture, expression emanating pride, which shows him and Celestia garnishing a stack of pancakes. "Princess Celestia, in particular, has a vast collection of stories to tell. Princess Luna is still a little too reserved to tell me much about her life, but she will come around, I know it." He mentioned with a nod before smirking at Pudding Head.

"Just like I know that you are going down, Pudding Head!"

"Ha bring it! Baked Bean, my ten-layer chocolate triple reverse split will beat anything you have!"

"And my Mmmmhhhmmm will beat your two dishes." Pinkie soon joined in on the banter.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let the best chef win!" All three say at the same time and start to work on the kitchen once more. Fluttershy and Blueblood were left blinking at their competitive friends before sharing a look and as one began to back away towards the kitchen door, not wanting to get caught in between the chefs and their work.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that tonight, we are going to eat like…ah, royalty?" The Prince stopped himself once he realized the unintentional pun he just made.

Fluttershy only chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose we will."

Blueblood shared Fluttershys merriment for a moment before shaking his head and looking at the entrance of the kitchen. "I wonder if this is what they meant with 'if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.'" Blueblood wondered out loud as Fluttershy nods.

"Don't know, but when it comes to food competitions, I've seen Pinkie get almost as intense as Rainbow Dash," She commented before looking at Blueblood.

"Also, what did you want to talk to us about Blueblood? You said that there was something you needed to tell us?"

"Oh right, that," Blueblood remembered the reason for his visit and sighed before looking at Fluttershy. "I was wondering, could you give me some advice on how to talk to my aunts about a particularly touchy subject?"

"Oh my, what is it?" She asked in concern.

"Well you see, before my exile, there was something on my mind that was driving me crazy, and I haven't had the time to address it properly. I don't even know if I have the right to request this but I…" He looks down at his hooves and tries to find the right words before giving up and looking Fluttershy directly in the eye. "…I want to visit my parents' graves."

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to **"Irrespective"** for letting me use his character for this chapter, I recommend you see his page and his stories they are really good. Full disclaimer, this is the Baked Bean interpretation on my universe. The ORIGINAL Baked Bean is slightly different, as well as his origin story.

and here is the link for the story that started it all:

story/382335/no-nose-knows

**For more information on the suicidal plant visit this page:

/D2aeMRoWAE0?t=498


	51. Scarlet Revenge

**Scarlet Revenge**

After their sentencing had been handed down, the noble couple of Jet Set and Upper Crust were promptly escorted back to their home and were fitted with two enchanted bracelets. The two items were to serve as traces, making sure the guards were informed and aware of their every move. If they ever left the premises without authorization, the bracelets would lead to their swift recapture. The pair gulped at the memory of Princess Luna's promise of what will happen if they ever break that promise. A silently fuming Jet set asked a guard, "Are we done here?" as the guard continued to mutter incantations, placing even more enchantments in the house.

"Be grateful that the princess was kind enough to grant you a choice of food and the possibility of visiting hours. If I had been the one rendering your sentence, I would have found a nice dark hole, put you in a cage there, and left you both there to rot." the guard responded with a clipped tone and a glare before finishing his work. "That is all. The moment we step out of the house, your sentence will start. Visiting hours will be from 2 to 3 pm, your community service will begin tomorrow at 8 am sharp. Be ready by then, or be prepared for a rude awakening. In case of a medical emergency, the cauldron to summon aid is right there." He droned out, pointing at the object in question. "Do you have any questions?"

"How much community service we will have to do?" Jet inquired with a tilted head, honestly curious.

"As much as the Princesses tell you." The guard responded sharply before leaving the premises with his comrades.

The moment the last one exited the house closing the door behind him, Upper Crust sighed and plopped herself down onto a nearby couch. "Sentenced to house arrest and community service indefinitely; by the stars, the girls in the country club will **NOT** let me hear the end of this when we finally do get out." She complained, placing her hooves on her face.

"Would you rather we take that bath of nightmares or have gotten sent to Gelid Maiden?" Jet Set asked with a shiver that made its way down his spine before approaching his wife. "Let those ponies speak their minds, honey, it will just be a passing trend. Heavens know that not a day passes in Canterlot without some new piece of gossip waiting to be told makes the rounds." Jet comforted Upper Crust as he nuzzled her cheek.

"Oh sweetie, you think so?"

"I know so, and if not, we will make it happen. After all, we _ARE_ the face of nobility. Blueblood might be the prince, but we know how high society works here. And there is nothing they can say that will keep us down." He assured with confidence, bringing a smile to Upper Crust until they both were startled by a familiar chuckle.

"You chose the wrong profession, Jet, dear." Looking around the couple started searching for Scarlet until they found her lounging in a spinning chair as she slowly turned around to meet them while slowly shaking a glass of wine in her magic grasp. "You could have been such a wonderful actor," she continued while regarding the contents of her drink.

"Scarlet Lips? But the guards were here less than a minute ago, how did you get in?" Upper Crust asked in anger as she stood up. "And more importantly, did you just break into our house to gloat?" She questioned with raising ire. Scarlet responded with a lilting giggle as she took a sip of her beverage before responding. "Oh Upper Crust you have it all wrong, I didn't come here to gloat, though since you brought it up…" She finally looked up to regard them both with a crooked smile"…I told you so~."

"Go ahead Scarlet, kick a couple when they are down, a real professional." Jet lambasted with an irritated shake of his head before freezing as the feeling of weightlessness overcame him. His body was lifted into the air, and he soon found himself face to face with the angry frown of Scarlet Lips, her eyes staring right at his soul.

"Do NOT lecture me about professionalism!" She hissed out with poison in her voice before letting him go and smiling cheerfully again. "Now then, shall we begin?" She inquired before finishing her drink

"Begin?" Upper Crust echoed. Her body language was noticeably confused, making Scarlet Lips chuckle again. "So soon; did you forget about your re-education sessions? Honestly, Upper Crust, I expected better from you," she shook her head in disappointment. "Such a poor first impression are you two making to your court-appointed counselor."

"WHAT?!" Jet Set exclaimed, recovering from being dropped and joining his wife in shock, the couple glanced at each other before blurting out simultaneously. "_You_ are our rehabilitation teacher?" they asked in fury.

At that moment, the couple started to hear more female voices coming from multiple directions. "Oh, please, like you could be that lucky. No, I'm not going to be in charge of your education." Scarlet's smile suddenly turned malicious. "I'm just here to watch."

"W-Watch what?" Jet Set demanded, doing his best to keep the fear he felt growing in his stomach at bay. Giving up in finding the source of the chuckle, he returned his gaze to Scarlet. All of a sudden, his heart skipped a beat when he felt something grabbing his shoulders. "Our first lessons." A low feminine voice answered him in a whisper.

Startled, Jet Set lept forwards while pivoting to regard his assailant while backing away. A statuesque female diamond dog, with white fur, and a slim body with an hourglass shape stepped out of the shadows. Jet Set continued his retreat until Upper Crust reached his side and stopped his movements while eyeing the new intruder. The canine completed her ensemble with spiky short ginger hair framing her face and accessorized with a diamond necklace adorning her neck. Her tail was straight and fluffy, and her form wore a long clean vest and fedora. Her beauty was marred only by the smile that she wore. Her grin was full of fangs, and her eyes did somehow had a sharklike quality, predatory. As she padded forward with silent paws, the couple discovered that she was twice the size of a fully grown male Diamond dog, and despite having sharp nails, on could quickly tell that they were well cared for by an excellent pedicure job.

"Aww, he's shy. Good!" The diamond dog tittered in excitement before her gaze suddenly turned wicked. "That means that he will listen to instructions!"

Sensing a threat, Upper Crust instinctively moved forward and glared at the canine, stepping between her and Jet Set.

"Oh? And the mare has moxie? I like that, and it can be terrific too. The name's Roxy by the way, you'd better remember." She continued, winking at Jet Set. "Because you are not going to forget me."

"Scarlet, what is the meaning of this?!" Upper Crust demanded. Her fury building while the Roxy kept eyeing the two ponies.

"Roxy just told you" A new voice was heard, and coming from their bedroom where a glowing pair of eyes could be seen in the darkness. An anthropomorphic cat, with long messy hair, and fur black as a new moon night slinked forwards. The dark felines form contrasted by the crisp white of the nurses uniform that she wore as she glided into the room. "This is your first lesson, and as your nurse, I suggest you stay calm. My name is Velvet, by the way, it's nice to meet you." She addressed them with a polite curtsey.

"So these are the recruits?" A dark purple dragons tail lifted Jet Set into the air until he was face to face with a pair of reptilian yellow eyes. Upper Crust craned her neck around and saw a humanoid dragoness with two long horns at the top of her head and four smaller ones running along her jawline. Her belly had light purple scales, which grew darker as they spread across the dragon's form. This was observable through the police officers uniform that had its middle tied tantalizingly on the dragon's hip. Her beauty was only complimented by the silver choker that rested neatly at her collarbone. She draped herself around on the rafters while inspecting Jet Set with a critical eye. "A bit small for my taste, and I don't see much of a muscle here, but I suppose I can work with this." She informs the growing group with a shrug.

"Come on, Uru, you are judging too fast!" A griffin half cougar and the half eagle called out. Her eyes were accented by purple eyelashes and three feathers on the top of her head in a fauxhawk. She was also wearing a police uniform, and the end of her wings had decorative purple plumage worked in with her feathers. After circling him, the griffin perched herself next to the dragon and looked over to her dragon friend. "He can be perfect for the underdog act. Nobody would expect a pony that looks so weak to pull anything off! Oh, I'm Feral, by the way, its a pleasure to meet you."

"HEY!" Jet Set complained in anger.

Upper Crust moved to try to intervene, but before she could do anything, she was levitated into the air and into the arms of Roxy who restrained her in a hug. "Ah, ah! Upper Crust, remember" To the shock of the two ponies. None other than Princess Luna walked toward her with a smile and her horn shining. "You have to assist in these lessons." Suddenly her body burst into purple flames revealing a tall and slim female changeling wearing a copy of Princess Luna's armor and regarding Upper Crust with a smirk. Her body was dark blue, her hair was long and silver, and her wings resembled those of a dragonfly.

"So it will be in your best interest that you don't resist too much, and instead start with the introductions, I will start. my name is Gerbera, but when I'm in character, you can address me as 'your highness.''" she informed, turning back into Princess Luna and putting her hoof under her chin as she looked at Upper Crust. "Now let's see. What role would be fitting for you? The damsel in distress?"

"Isn't that old cliche done to death?" Velvet complained, followed by a roll of her eyes before thinking too. "Oh, maybe the peddler? It's a cliche but a classic if done right, with so much potential."

"Get away from ME!" Upper Crust yelled in frustration, teleporting away from their grasp, Jet Set soon following suit and soon both reappeared in the corner of the room away from the group, before eyeing Scarlet Lips who had a look of barely contained amusement on her face. "What is the meaning of all of this Scarlet?! I want an explanation, and I want it now!"

"There it is! The fire, the passion! That mare is pure dynamite!" Roxy praised her and clapped her padded hands. "I vote for the villain role. She was born to do that!"

"What?" Both Jet Set and Upper Crust replied, confused by that reaction. Scarlet merely shook her head. "Honestly, do I have to spell it out for you? This is your first improv class." She finally explained.

"What? You mean…oh no, not in a million years, if you think I'm going to _degrade _myself for your amusement…!" Jet Set complained but stopped by the roar of Uru, who was now glaring daggers at him.

"Choose your words carefully, sir. Unless you wish for your next role to be a roman candle." She warned a telltale trail of smoke escaping her lips as she spoke and her throat glowed with the barely contained fury of Dragonfire.

"Scarlet you can't be serious, improv class? Really? You can't do this to us this…this can't be legal!" Upper Crust demanded with a big blush. Jet Set decided to keep quiet so as not to anger Uru even more.

"But that's the thing honey, starting today, it IS!" Scarlet answered brightly before standing up and approaching a nearby desk. "Approved by none other than Princess Luna personally and put in circulation effective immediately." She showed them a small packet of documents with Luna's stamp and royal seal affixed on it, shocking the two. "And guess what fortunate couple just agreed to be the first test subjects in Canterlot's newest rehabilitation project?"

"Rehabilitation? How does improv class help reintroduce criminals into society?" Jet Set asked, confused and a tad bit curious with this whole ordeal, while Upper Crust put her head underneath her husband's neck in a protective manner.

"Criminals? Oh, honey, I'm afraid you got it all wrong. True you did attack royalty and all but kicked Equestria into a very nasty financial crisis. Oh, and you broke various rules, but to call yourself criminals? That sounds a bit excessive." Gerbera answered as she slowly approached the two. "I prefer the term, attention seekers."

"Hey!" Upper Crust complained, insulted for being compared to a toddler, even if the observation was a bit on the snout.

"And to answer your question, the solution is fairly simple actually," Scarlet continued as she places some ink, a feather, and some blank scrolls down. "You see, despite the horrible things you did, and the suffering you forced the crown and country to endure for one whole month, nothing you did had any true malicious intent. At its core, all you ever wanted was some attention."

"We are not toddlers!" Jet Set insisted, but his opinion was promptly ignored as Uru got closer to him, and taking advantage of his surprise, slipped a dampening ring on his horn. "Oh honey, I'm sorry but, even if you weren't, you sure acted just like one."

"Both of you, actually." Roxy tells placing a similar ring on Upper Crust before she could do anything, "Not that there is something wrong with that of course. I respect those that seek out what they want." She confided, flashing her a smile full of fangs.

"And that is why a certain suggestion came to the princess' ear, on how to help purge you of such childish behaviors," Scarlet commented while grinning at both of them. "By helping you imagine different scenarios and situations! A proactive way for you to see more points of view in a safe and more importantly, supervised way."

All the other woman started to approach the couple, and they now saw that they had dresses at the ready.

"Can we at least choose what to act out? "Jet Set asked, gulping when he saw the garb of homeless individuals mixed with that of peasants.

"I was going to give you the option, yeah," Uru explained. "But after hearing some of those comments, I believe someone needs a lesson in humility."

"Just as I promised…I will be next." Scarlet commented in a low tone as she dips the tip of her feather on the ink.

"Scarlet, what are you doing?" Upper Crust asked, taking notice of her actions.

"Oh, this?" she asks, lifting her feather, "Well I suppose I was lying when I said that I wouldn't do anything. It seems that while you are going to be reenacting various theatrical plays, you will be helping me construct my latest book by acting out the scenes I write." She states with a cheerful tone. "Don't worry. I will make sure to give you credit for your assistance. As I have done with all of my friends here." She finished, pointing at the other woman in the room.

"That's right." Velvet nodded as she started to move the furniture to make more room. "We have helped Scarlet with hundreds of books for years now, reenacting scenes and giving her suggestions on what to do or not to do. It is pretty funny and most of all, refreshing."

"You should be honored; normally these sessions would require a lot of determination and stamina, for Scarlet to offer you to be part of the experience means that you can be something else," Gerbera confided to them with a smile. "So what do you say if we work together and have some fun?"

"And refrain for any other comments about this being some form of degradation."

"S…sure, sure! Let work together! Teamwork improved!" Jet answered, not wanting to get on the dragon's wrong side.

Upper Crust sighed in defeat and rolled her eyes before smiling slightly. "Fine, still better than the alternative."

"Now that is the spirit!" Feral cheered, bringing them into a group hug. "You will see! The two of you will love this. Scarlet wasn't lying either, and I think you could be a great actor Jet Set!"

"Oh that reminds me, I should warn you now with the length of my books and how many tries it usually takes us. One improv session could last at least eight hours." Scarlet warned the couple who stared at her flatly for a couple of seconds before making a mad dash for the door. Unfortunately, Velvet and Uru caught both of them using their respective tails.

"Remember, it's this or the bath~" Uru reminded them. "Better just accept it and comply or it will just get worse for you two."

"Ok! Ok! Then what about this? Since this is our first day, we spend it just introducing ourselves, and telling each other such in a _reaaaaallly_ long story form?" Jet suggested with his wife nodding in agreement rapidly, but the gathered cadre of women shook their heads as Uru lifted him into the air. "Nice try."

"Ok ladies, back to the first problem, what role do we start with?" Gerbera asked her companions.

"Got you covered dear," Scarlet called out with a smile before looking at the couple, "I say, explorers, lost in a jungle! And I know how to start things off!" She charged her horn, and the room suddenly transformed into a dense jungle, complete with vines, bugs, and stinging bushes.

"What the…?" Jet asked, confused about what happened.

"Just an illusion dear, to help you get into character," Scarlet answered before she disappeared with her friends. "Now let us begin, Chapter One: After weeks of grueling exploring and fighting starvation, we find ourselves trapped inside an uncharted jungle…"

To the surprise of the couple, the second Scarlet finished the sentence, the couple could feel their stomach grumbling, and their hooves were aching.

"Scarlet…how realistic can these sessions get?" Jet Set asked worried about the level of realism they were in now, a natural mosquito biting his snout.

"It's best if you don't find out, now if you please, start exploring." Scarlet directed them as two machetes appeared in front of the two. Looking at one another, the couple could only shrug and ultimately decided to go along.

8 hours later

A refreshed and happy Scarlet Lips stepped out onto Upper Crust and Jet Set's balcony, before stretching and look at the moon.

_By Celestia mane, I haven't felt so invigorated in years!_

She looked back with a smile as she sees all of her friends happily sleeping while laying around in the living room, the noble couple in the middle of the room wholly exhausted, dirty and bruised by the experience.

_Hmm, maybe I was a bit harsh on them for the first lesson. I should go easier on them in the next class. _She nodded to herself before looking back at the castle and leaned on the rail of the balcony.

"And once I'm through with them. You're next. Rest well my charming prince, soon enough I will get you." She whispers to the wind with dreamy eyes until the unmistakable voice of Pinkie Pie called at her far away in the distance.

"No, you won't!"

Scarlet's eyes widened in surprise before she glared at the castle. "Yes. I will!"

"Noooooope!"


	52. Royal Lineage

**Royal Lineage**

The tension in the dining room was palpable as Pinkie Pie, Baked Bean, and Pudding Head were eagerly awaiting the results of their friendly competition. Hours before dinner, all three spent the day making dish after dish for a three-meal course meal, all with their signature flair. It was mostly just a match between friends, but it was also a matter of honor and in Pinkie and Baked Bean's instance, a chance to best what they saw as another world legend.

"So?" Baked Bean finally broke the tension by speaking and looking at the royals, the founders, and Fluttershy. "Which one did you like the most?"

"Before I answer, I just want to say that all of you did a magnificent job." Celestia was the first to answer after daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You three put your heart and soul into your dishes. I could feel how much passion and effort you put in each and every single one of them."

"Indeed. These meals were certainly a trip down memory lane, and nothing would bring me more joy than to have the chance to eat delicacies such as these more often." Luna continued, earning a smile from Platinum who looked at the sisters like a proud teacher seeing their efforts paying off.

"That being said, and although you all made one incredible effort, Pudding Head's title as the best chef on Equestria still stands," Celestia informed them with a sad smile.

"Indeed, even with thousands of years in absence, her dishes still rule supreme." Luna concluded with a satisfying nod, "As well as a neat trip down memory lane."

"Yes!" Pudding Head hoof bumps the air in victory as her opponents looked down in defeat until Commander Hurricane voiced her opinion.

"Not so fast, sunshine."

Everyone looks at her as she smiled and tapped her plate. "As always, you are a softy when it comes to matters of family members, even when we were your teachers, you always kept calling us your 'aunts'." She stated with a wistful smile. "Adorable as fillies, but as mares, it's time to take off the rose-tinted goggles and get serious." She pointed at Baked Bean. "And big yellow there, just wiped the floor with Pudding Head."

"What?!" Pudding looked at her friend incredulously as Bean glanced at the commander in surprise and was then shocked when Princess Platinum nodded in agreement. "I'm afraid I have to agree with her dear, you three were always a bit clingy to us when growing up and at times, that always clouded your judgment in things like this." Platinum made a comment, which earned the confusion of Blueblood when he noticed that Platinum was referring to Celestia and Luna.

_Three? _

"Sir Bean here has an extraordinary knowledge of cuisine and all the variables of it, and the truth of the matter is that like everything else, dishes tend to evolve and grow. His courses certainly did. There is no shame in admitting defeat, dear, if anything I say that Sir Bean has more than earned the right of being your successor."

"Lady Platinum, I don't know what to say, I, just…thank you," Bean stammered, and gave a bow in respect to both her and Hurricane until the commander stopped it. "Ah, we…don't exactly do that."

"Well…I thought that it was a bit spicy." Fluttershy is next to talk, gaining everyone's attention. "I-I mean it was tasty and everything, but your dishes were a bit too intense for my taste." She then smiled demurely and looked to at Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie's plate felt more comfortable, more relaxed. I enjoyed hers just a tiny bit better, n-not that yours were bad, or anything. I just thought that…ah well I…kind of like her more than yours, just a tiny bit?"

"Thank you, Fluttershy," Pinkie replied warmly.

"Same," Blueblood said without looking as he played with some of the scraps on his plates and looked pensive. A reaction that both of the royal sisters and Fluttershy noticed.

"Wait…so what does that mean...?" Pinkie asks.

"Each of us got two votes so…did we get a draw?" Baked Bean asked, perplexed by the results.

"Ooooooooh! I have never got one of those before!" Pudding mentioned in excitement. "What do we do now?"

"I think we should have a tiebreaker somehow. Though I don't know how since we had a three-meal course contest," Bean mused, genuinely confused as to what to do.

While the three chefs continued to ponder what to do, Celestia whispered to Blueblood worryingly. "Blueblood? Is everything ok?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, everything is fine." The prince answered, finally looking back up.

"Are you sure? you barely even touched your food." Luna voiced her own observations, "What is the matter? You didn't like it?"

"No, the food was fine it was…well the thing is..." The prince kept struggling to find the right words until Fluttershy grabbed his hoof with her own for support. Blueblood looked at her, smiling, and soon he relaxed before nodding and looked to Celestia and Luna. "Aunties, there is something I need to ask you both, and I'm afraid it kind of a sensitive subject."

"What is it?" Celestia asked.

"How did my parents die?" He finally managed to say, earning the attention of everyone in the room and creating a tense and eerie silence that lingered for what felt like years.

"Blueblood how did you…?" Celestia began to inquire, but Blueblood interrupted her before she could say anything else.

"Ever since the masquerade, I have been asking why I never once met my parents or found out who they are or why they were never here…as well as thinking about if I even have the right to ask about them or to meet them." He explained, looking down in sadness before looking back to Celestia. "A month ago, I couldn't take the pressure of not knowing anything anymore and started searching for them and trying to understand what happened. Why did neither of you even mention their names once? So imagine my shock when I asked for my blood lineage on the civil register in Manehattan and found…their obituaries"

"Ahhhh…maaaaaybe, this sounds a bit personal. Perhaps we should be going for the time being?" Bean offered and tried to pull Pudding Head and Pinkie Pie away, but neither of them wanted to move. "You are right, Sir Bean this is a family issue, Fluttershy, Pinkie. Could you please give us a moment?" Platinum asked the two mares as they turn to regard her. "Please?"

They both share a look, unsure. Ultimately, they nodded and complied, leaving the room along with Baked Bean.

Once they were gone, the founders put their full attention to the royal sisters. "Just answer me this Celestia." Pudding asked in complete seriousness, catching everyone by surprise as she refused to look at her. "How long were you planning to wait before telling him about his parents?"

"Chancellor Pudding, this isn't an easy subject to…" Celestia tried to speak, but Pudding interrupted her.

"How long!?" She yelled, demanding an answer.

"…When he was ready to hear it." the solar princess finally confessed, looking away.

" When he was ready?" Pudding asked, finally looking at her. "Or when you were?" She asks before looking at Luna. "Did you know of this?"

"Just recently, but…yes," Luna said, looking down as well making Pudding sigh in disappointment and shaking her head as she takes a seat.

"Well, the wound is bleeding now, might as well just rip the bandage off already," Hurricane remarked, trying to ease the tension. "So how much did you find out rookie?"

"Just that it happened twenty years ago." He looked back at his aunts. "Nothing else, I wanted to hear it from you aunties. I couldn't take that away from you. This needed to be something that I learned from you. Not a piece of paper, not a mortician, you. So I will ask again, how did it happen?"

The royal sister looked at one another before sighing in defeat and looking down. "It not a story that I enjoy recalling." Celestia began. "Before our subjects had the chance to meet Luna again, the idea of Nightmare Moon struck fear and anguish into the hearts of some."

"A misguided idea, fueled by myths and legends involving Nightmare Moon, and the notion that she might have followers among our family tree." Luna continued gaining the attention of Blueblood.

Time seemed to freeze as both sisters recalled the events that transpired 20 years ago, how Blueblood could have had a chance for a normal childhood, and how his parents, a normal duke and duchess couple were nothing special among nobility except for their bloodline connection to Celestia. They then recalled how the assassin left their corpses around a now-orphaned Blueblood who didn't have anyone to turn to but his heartbroken aunt.

"Royal Treatment and Formal Attire might not have been exactly the best when it came time to modesty, kindness, and at times even honestly but they were good ponies, and loving parents, who didn't deserve to die." Celestia now with teary eyes concluded the story. "To this day, I have yet to find the monsters that took them away, but when I do, and I promise you Blueblood. I will…They will answer for their crimes. They will be judged and punished with the full force of the justice system!" She swore in anger until Luna grabbed her hoof, helping her calm down.

"Nephew, this is in no way an excuse, but I hope this helps you understand why we had our reservations in telling you this story, what happens to my nephews…is something I will never be able to forget…or forgive myself since it was my jealousy which provoked the creation of such horrible ideologies." Luna confessed, looking down in guilt.

"No." Blueblood shook his head. "It wasn't your fault Auntie. It was theirs. They and their stupid ideology were what caused that tragedy. Like I said, Nightmare Moon is more than just than a bedtime story. I would never blame you for what others did." He responded to her with a nervous smile, clearly trying to hide his emotions. The royal sisters weren't entirely sure if they had seen anger or sadness behind that mask.

"Nephew, there is no reason for you to hold back your emotions. If you are sad or angry please, just let them out. No one here will think less of you from expressing yourself." Celestia encouraged him to let go, but Blueblood shook his head.

"It's not that. It's just that it's a sad story. My emotions are so conflicted. Even when I didn't know about them, I felt some connection with them, even when my soul is human. This body, this life. They are an important part of them, and I wish I was part of theirs as well. Would it be ok for me to think of them as my real parents?"

"Of course its ok sweetie, like we have been telling you and will keep saying. You will always be a part of this family," Celestia assured, approaching Blueblood and nuzzling his cheek, "No matter what, I'm sure Royal and Attire would have gladly taken you as their son if they had the opportunity to meet you."

"Thanks, auntie," Blueblood sighed, returning the gesture but still looking sad.

"That is not all, isn't it nephew?" Luna wondered, noticing his expression, and he shook his head, letting go of Celestia. "As I said, I have been thinking a lot and started to wonder about my family roots, that is why I wanted to ask if I could go and visit their graves?"

The princesses looked at each other in surprise and then back to him. "I mean, after everything that has happened, I think I'm ready to embrace who I truly am and to know more about my family. That is why I want to see them, in person. To talk to them, and say my goodbyes." He explained, looking down.

The sisters kept looking at him before smiling. "Would that bring you peace, nephew?"

"Yeah, that's all I want, so I can finally put my mind to rest."

"Then we will gladly take you to them, sweetie," Celestia answered. "Anything for you, my kind fluffy nephew, you!" Celestia baby talked, unable to resist poking fun at his still fluffy coat and to bring him into another hug as she nuzzles his neck, tickling him in the process.

"Oh come on auntie cut it out." Blueblood tells in between giggles, trying to get free from her hold

"Never! Your fur is just so soft and fluffy! I will never let it go" She proclaims in happiness keeping her administration.

"Aunt Luna help, please do something" Blueblood call for her other aunt help as he continue to laugh

"Oh I will" She tells joining on the hug "By the stars, this is soft, would you mind if I use you as a pillow tonight dear nephew?"

"No!" Blueblood tells in mock horror as they all three share a laugh

"The Rookie is growing," Hurricane remarked with pride, as the founders let the family have their moment in peace while spoke in a low voice, so they didn't interrupt.

"He sure is." Platinum agreed. "There is still a ways to go, but he is taking the first steps there."

" Do you think he is ready to hear about Festivia?" Pudding asked her friends.

"Not yet, I think he has learned enough of his family lineage for today. Her story can wait for another time." The tree agreed with a silent nod before going in two different directions, Pudding toward the royal family and the other founders to the front door in order to get their friends back. "Group hug!" Pudding yelled before tackling the royals into the ground,

"Oh! I want in too!" Pinkie cried out in excitement as she launched herself into the hug as well, making everyone share a laugh.

Meanwhile on the balcony of the top floor of a luxurious apartment complex in Canterlot

"Birth of The Night Prince and his Terror Knights?" Sharp Shoot chuckled and shook his head as he put away a copy of tomorrow's newspaper showing a picture of Blood Moon and his creations. "Cute." Using his wing, he took an apple from a nearby bowl as he continued to enjoy his dinner in peace while admiring the stars, until the arrival of Clear Sky who marched into the room unannounced, breaking the silence as she approached the stallion. "Sharp Shoot, we need to talk," She said with a glare on her face, "You told me that by the time this is over I would have Blueblood in my hooves, you didn't say anything about a crisis, our friends being arrested OR that he'd be taking on an appearance similar to those annoying princesses!" She growled out in frustration. "This thing just went way out of hoof, and none of that plays in our direction."

"You think so?" He asked rhetorically, taking a sip of his drink, confusing his partner.

"Excuse me?"

"True, things are different than what we expected, when I suggested the idea of a duel to those two idiots, my only interest was in seeing how our reformed prince would act under pressure, and deal with a potential crisis." He finished his drink and stood before heading back inside the room. "But exiling himself? Solving an economic catastrophe? Destroying four criminal families? Even achieving a new transformation? Things went far better than I thought they would and more importantly..." He looks back at his friend with a sinister smile, "Now we know how this new him, thinks under pressure and, by extension, what his capabilities are."

"You mean that all of this was so that you could know what he is capable of?" Clear asked in surprise.

"A necessary step in order to achieve our goals." He answered, looking back and pulling the horn on a bust of Celestia which revealed a secret room behind a library. Inside was a cork board mounted on each of the walls with a series of photos of the main six, the tree of harmony, the Princesses, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and the six pillars. Alongside these were reams of papers and charts of statistics, powers, and natures of almost everything; All of which connected with a red string. "Do not fret my friend, I still remember our deal, and I intend to keep it. As a matter of fact…"

He picked a picture of Blueblood and placed it underneath the royal sisters, connecting a new string to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie "…the seeds of doubt, have already been planted," Shard Shot concluded in confidence. "Soon enough, those seeds will guide him in new directions."

Meanwhile on the royal castle

The rest of the dinner became more lively as everyone kept chatting and laughing, the princesses in particular been especially giddy and happy for how things have developed.

"A direction full of questions…"

Blueblood laughed and tried to push Celestia away as she refuses to let him go.

"…questions that the princesses will be unable to answer…"

Luna finally saved him, but so that she could lean on him as well.

"…and that will eventually make him realize how flawed his supposedly perfect aunts are in reality."

Back at the apartment

Sharp Shoot finished writing some data on a sheet of paper and placed it next to the picture of Blueblood. "I suppose this would be the part where I told you how soon Blueblood himself would break all ties with the princesses. About how his resentment will erase any love toward them, but talking is cheap…" He looked back to her with a smile, "…and actions speak louder than words."


	53. Of Bites And Might

**Of Bites And Might**

"Alright, your highness, open wide," Doctor Caliber instructed Blueblood as he checked his throat and teeth using a small pallet and a flashlight.

Following her aunt's wishes, and right after getting a mane and fur cut to take care of his hair issue, the Prince went straight away to Dr. Caliber. After he had run through series of medical examinations, ranging from X-Rays to fluid samples, to an in-depth physical exam; no test was left out to make sure there were not any lingering abnormalities leftover from his transformation into a pony of shadows.

"How many more of these tests are needed, Doctor? I told you, the founders and I explored the extent of Blood Moon's powers using Discord's tricks with bending time and space. Other than the fur nothing else happened; there should be nothing to fear."

"Please bear with me just a little bit longer your highness. After all, you are the first pony in recorded history who managed to become a pony of shadow and retain full mental control in the process, a feat, not even your aunt managed to achieve. It would be wise to be sure there weren't any adverse side effects in doing so."

"Come on. My dusk form is nothing that impressive! I think the only reason I kept myself in control is because my full power in that form is just about a tenth of what my aunt was capable of doing."

"Really?" Caliber asked disbelievingly, honestly impressed as Blueblood nodded in confirmation.

"Blood Moon might be **A** nightmare, but my aunt Luna is **THE** nightmare."

"...Regardless, it's better to be safe than sorry. Answer me this, your highness. Which one of the founders, or Discord for that matter, has a Ph.D. in modern medicine?" the Doctor queried with a raised eyebrow.

"…None," the Prince responded, looking down.

"That is what I thought. Don't worry, this is the final one, and I just want to see your throat, now if you please..." He lifted his instrument as the Prince only sighed in defeat and complied.

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he started once he got a good look into the Prince's mouth, confusing Blueblood. "Is there a problem?"

"Keep your mouth open please," Caliber answered tersely before proceeding with the examination, playing close attention to his teeth for some reason until the Doctor finished and backed away.

"Are you a part-time dentist as well, Doctor?" the Prince half-joked until he saw Caliber furiously writing something down on the Prince's charts.

"Seriously Doc, what is the matter? Did you find anything bad?"

"Before I answer, I have one last question for you," Caliber then went to his desk and returned with a big red candy rock floating in his magic. "Could you do me the favor of lightly biting down on this candy?"

"Why?"

"Trust me, it will be easier to explain this way, and it will test a theory of mine."

Blueblood shrugged and decided to comply, lightly biting the candy until it shattered and broke with ease. Just as the Prince suspected, it was strawberry flavor, and he couldn't detect any hit of medicine in it. It was nothing more than a particularly tasty and sweet treat, so he decided to close his eyes to enjoy the sweet as he took another bite, completely missing the dumbfounded expression that Caliber was making at the actions taken.

"A bit fragile but delicious! Can I have another one for the road after were done?" He asked, looking back at the Doctor, who was looking for something back in the desk. "Dr. Caliber?" The Prince inquired, getting confused by how the pony was acting.

"Hmmm? Oh sure, no problem, ah! Here it is" Caliber muttered mostly to himself as he pulls out an X-Ray of a dragon's mouth. "Yep, just as I suspected."

"What is it, doc?"

"Your highness, I will be honest with you." He put the X-Ray on his charts and approached the Prince. "After looking at your results and comparing them with your last check-up, I have a fairly comprehensive catalog of all the changes your body underwent from the transformation and yes…there were more to it than just your fur." the Doctor held up a hoof, stopping Blueblood before he could voice his opinion.

"Like what?" the Prince inquired, confused.

"Well... the majority of them are nothing to worry about, for the most part. You had a growth spurt of two inches, your muscle mass has radically increased, your horn is three-point-four inches longer, and your magic mana count has tripled, so other than the horn elongation, nothing seems out of the ordinary for a healthy adult stallion who performed some extensive exercise for a long period."

"See? I told…"

"…however," Caliber continued interrupting the Prince. "There one additional change that your body seems to have retained from your 'dusk form' as you call it." He placed two films on a frame and turned on the lights so they can both see the X-Rays

"Prince Blueblood I'm not exactly sure how to say this but…you now have four prominent fangs in your mouth. Very similar to the ones a dragon should have," Caliber explained using a pen as a pointer to indicate the Prince's new teeth and the teeth of the dragon X-ray beside the princes own. Blueblood could indeed see that both had four prominent incisors in the same places. "Additionally, though this is too early to tell if it's permanent or not, it appears that you have acquired the necessary attributes to have an omnivorous diet." the Doctor informed giving him the X-Ray so he can have a closer look.

"Wait, the fangs stayed there?" Blueblood questioned in surprise, admiring the X-Ray before looking at himself in a nearby mirror, which confirmed that in fact, four frontal fangs stand up from the rest of his teeth. "O…k, that's one change I didn't expect to keep," he muttered in surprise before licking them for good measure and then chuckled lightly. "You know, I saw the images, and I read the story, but I swear for the life of me. I still don't understand why Nightmare Moon had them in the first place," he confessed, looking at Caliber. "Perhaps they didn't serve any purpose, and were just an esthetic curiosity?"

"Sir, didn't you hear me? Your digestive system may have a permanent alteration as well; you could have developed some new allergies along the way. Maybe soon you will need to sustain your body with a new diet, like rocks, steel or I even dread to say…" he gulped in fear "…meat."

"Kind of an overdramatic conclusion don't you think, Doctor? I mean, why would you think that just because I have fangs, I can even bite something like a rock?" he said with a chuckle as he takes another bite from the candy.

"Because you just ate a ruby, sir," the Doctor stated in a matter of fact tone, making Blueblood spit out his treat.

"I what!?" He takes a close look at the candy, and sure enough, he started noticing that it seemed particularly hard to break in his grasp and when gridding it on the metal examination table, a screeching sound could be heard. It also left a clear line behind on the metal while the now identified gem remained unfazed.

"Why did you think I asked you to bite _lightly_?" Caliber remarked while crossing his hooves. "'A bit fragile but delicious' those were your exact words, am I wrong?"

"Doc, you took a very high risk with that bet? I mean what would have happened if I couldn't bite it off?"

"I was confident that you would stop yourself before hurting any teeth." Caliber answered without missing a beat. "And at this point, I don't think it matters all that much. For now, let's focus on what we discovered and what needs to be done from now on," he explained while writing something down at his desk.

"So, you want me to try to eat other kinds of food?"

"Only in the case of that within the next couple of weeks you begin to feel lethargic or unusually hungry," Caliber answered. "Until then, it will be better if we had a period of observation to determine if you still can survive with only a herbivorous diet and if those teeth are permanent or not."

"Sounds good to me." The Prince responded with a nod.

"Good, in that case, I believe this would be all for today sir, please have a nice day."

"You too doc, oh right! Can I have a copy of my…"

"Way ahead of you, sir." Caliber gave him a copy of his medical report and smirked at him. "I had the distinct impression that Princess Luna would like to take a look at the results."

"Nice guess." The Prince chuckled as he took the folder.

"Never underestimate the intuition of the stallion in charge of performing regular check-ups on royalty, sir." Caliber boasted as he sent the Prince off while lightly chuckling at the comment. The Prince went straight to his aunt's room.

Said trip didn't take long though since, on his way, Princess Luna appeared from thin air while the Prince traversed the hallway.

"Nephew." Startled, Blueblood had to take a step back to recover from the surprise while the princess looked at him with a solemn expression. "Can we have a word?" She then raised an eyebrow in mild surprise when seeing him clearly, "Did you cut your mane even shorter?"

The Prince chuckled lightly as he passed one of his hooves through his now mildly-short and spiked hair. "Yeah, the long hair wasn't exactly my style, and I thought maybe since I was getting a haircut anyway why not try a new look, do you like it?"

"It reminds me of a shorter version of Rainbow Dash's mane style," she says with a nod, "I say that it suits you; it helps accentuate your male attributes," she responded with an approving nod.

"Thanks, oh! Also here you go aunt Luna, just as I promised," Blueblood told her, recovering from the surprise and levitating the report towards Luna before she took it with one of her wings and glanced through it. Sighing in relief and returning her attention to her nephew. "Thank you, nephew, with this, I can rest easier knowing that you only need to add gems into your diet from now on," she informed him with a smile, and then turned around.

"What? No! Just because I have fangs doesn't mean that I will start eating…"

"…Now please follow me, there is something I would like to show you." Luna interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"Am I in trouble?" The Prince asked in worry by how she remained so neutral as he followed along. His answer soon came when the princess merely shook her head and looked back at him.

"Nothing of the sort. Rather, I just wanted to speak with you about what happened with Jet Set and Upper Crust. Or rather _why_ it happened in the first place," she told him with a solemn expression.

"There is no mystery their, auntie. They were just jealous and wanted my title. That is all." Blueblood stated, catching up to her, but to his surprise, she shook her head once more.

"If only things would have been that simple. Tell me something, nephew, has Commander Hurricane, or even my sister ever told you why Equestria had fought its fair share of wars in the past?"

"Well, not really. Aunt Celestia mentioned it briefly while we were training. The founders did tell me how some groups of ponies voiced their…discontent about the idea of allying with the other tribes, but that was all, what does that have to do with what happened?"

"Patience, nephew, I will explain it very soon," Luna answered as Blueblood took notice of how she was guiding them into what looked to be a big dome room full of mosaics, and stained glass windows placed against the walls. All of them told a massive story, one that appeared to involve not only the three races of ponies but also other species, and all of them engaged in combat in one way or another. Finally, they stopped when they reached one showing both his aunts lifting the sun and moon on the center and the founders sitting on thrones on top of them and a rural town on the bottom.

"Just as they both told you, yes, Equestria had suffered numerous battles, and yes, you could say that the first one was orchestrated by unhappy citizens wanting the status quo to remain as it was. But although important, I wouldn't call those incidents wars, or at least not on the global scale."

"Equestria has fought in world wars?" Blueblood whispered in shock with the revelation as Luna sighed. "Although their claims may have varied, it always came down to the same song and dance, revolving around one subject; power, disguised with different justifications. Territory, pride, resources, fear, there is even a tale about a war that started because two kings wanted the same mare as their bride." Luna recapped before looking at the mosaic. "Such is the influence that power can have on you and those around you."

Luna explained as she looked at her image. "This window represents the first war that my sister and I were dragged into," she confessed, "as well as the day we obtained our cutie marks."

"Wait. What?!" Blueblood stared at her in shock. "You cutie marks launched a full-scale global war?"

"Please try to understand it from their point of view, nephew. You are a powerful ruler. Confident that no one would have the resources or power capable of challenging you. Suddenly, two fillies appear out of nowhere with the ability to move and control celestial bodies which previously required the effort of ten skilled unicorns to achieve, leaving them utterly exhausted afterward." She pointed at another window showing kings and queens of all sorts of species; diamond dogs, griffins, minotaurs, even what appeared to be golems made of gems. All of them wore a surprised expression as two filly versions of Celestia and Luna raising their respective celestial bodies. " when you see that happen, you can't help but start to think 'what is stopping those fillies from toppling your empire? What if they find a way to weaponize the sun, what chance do you have then?'"

She then pointed at another window showing the kings in shadows around the fillies who had taken a defensive posture, "And then your pride is hurt with the fear of knowing that two fillies of six and eight years old were what defeated or killed you. So you desperately search for a way to stop them before they became a real threat. And thus, conflicts emerge."

"But…wait that. You are telling me that the kings and queens of the past started a war just because they were scared of children?"

"Children learning how to control the night and day, nephew, do not forget that. And with the idea of beings capable of so much, can you truly blame them from being wary? Back then, Equestria was still a young kingdom, inexperienced and naive, but growing in size. Some historians attribute the arrival of Discord to the chaos that caused said war," Luna says in shame. "Yet another sin for us to bear."

"Aunt Luna, stop," Blueblood glares at her. "I get it, they were scared, but what happened wasn't your fault either, it was simply a problem that kept escalating ."

"And that is the reason of this lesson nephew," Luna told him with a nod, confusing the Prince.

"Huh?"

"Power can be a double-edged sword, capable of not only ignite the flames of war…" She passed him the morning newspaper, and he looked down at it with surprise. the title and a full-page picture of Blood Moon on the front page, "…but it also prevents them from continuing or from conflicts ever happening in the first place."

"'The Night Prince, and the Terror Knights?'" Blueblood read the title out loud in surprise by the unusual phrasing. "Weird title, it makes it sound like I just started a rock band."

"Such is the way of the media, I'm afraid," Luna agreed with a roll of her eyes. "You should be thankful nephew. There were some rather denigrating titles that Celestia and I had suffered over the centuries. There was a time they call us the destroyers of pies." She tells in reminiscing on the said event.

"Really?" He looked back to her, but Luna shook her head.

"A story for another time, for now, let us go back to the subject at hoof," she continued, showing the final image of her and Celestia defeating the attackers alongside the founders. "Our first real war served as a reminder of our true power and what it represented to others. It was a bittersweet lesson that taught us to be alert, careful, and most importantly, to never underestimate our enemies."

She looked back to the Prince. "Nephew, in the past, you were weak. Other than your sharp wit and expertise with manipulation. You weren't much of a threat to our enemies; in fact, I dare say that most of them saw you as nothing more than a puppet that was occasionally difficult to control. Though now that your strings are cut and your true potential has been revealed. Our enemies soon would take notice, and battles, of not only power but also wits, will come your way very soon," she informed him gravely.

"And that is why, to also prevent future events like what happened with that Jet Set and Upper Crust, I would insist that you take private lessons in the art of character judgment and body language analysis with myself as your teacher."

"You…want me to learn how to judge a per…a pony?" The Prince asked, perplexed by her offer as Luna nodded.

"The decision, of course, is ultimately yours, but I assure you that it will be a great asset if you take it. My sister is good at judging others, and like me, could understand the body language, but of the two of us, she is too trusting, too hopeful, and unfortunately incapable of seeing reality for what it is, giving a pony a chance despite whether his or her intentions could be malicious or not. It has led to her to numerous mistakes and errors in the past," she spoke softly with pity. "I, on the other hoof, had no difficulty seeing those warnings and taking the precautions needed."

"Aunt Luna I don't know...learn to judge? Sure I'm familiar with that the subject…to an extent from my previous life, but what you are saying it's like an even bigger version of that and…it feels wrong. I don't know if I want to judge others all the time."

She sighs in disappointment and looks down. "I understand, a lesson of that nature can indeed be seen as shady," she looks at him with a happy expression. "It appears your good-natured heart is shining once more, a kind thought, but one that also leaves you vulnerable. At the very least, promise me that you will keep your guard up when meeting new ponies and will try to keep a cool head in tense situations."

"I will, Aunty, I promise."

She smiles in satisfaction and nods once. "My offer still stands if you change your mind, think about it carefully, and when you are sure of your decision, to come to see me. My door is always…well maybe not always open, but from the afternoon onwards I will be available for you if you need any advice."

"Thanks, Aunt Luna, I will remember it."

The princess was about to leave when she noticed her nephew still looking at the windows. "Nephew? Are you coming?"

"Just give me a minute auntie, I want to see the rest of the story first," he responded as he admired each portrait, making his aunt smile. "You know, if you like, I could narrate the events that transpired."

"Really?" He looks at her in surprise and happiness as she nodded.

"War is not something to be brushed off as an epic adventure or a tale of heroes and villains…but it can be a good story that can serve as a lesson for future generations to learn," she told as she sat next to him. "So tell me, nephew, what do you wish to learn first?"

"Well, for starters, how did the other rulers learn about you two?"

"Oh, that is an excellent place to start. Let me see... a bit longer than a thousand years ago…"

Later that day at the train station.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather take the chariot? It would be faster," Blueblood offered as he accompanied Pinkie and Fluttershy as they were departing back to Ponyville with Fluttershy shaking her head in response. "It's ok, Ponyville is not that far from Canterlot, and we wouldn't want to bother you."

"Yeah, plus the chariot doesn't have a candy cart passing by!" Pinkie added in before licking her lips in anticipation.

"Huh, yeah I get it now, can't blame you from taking the train." The Prince nodded with a chuckle.

"Are you sure you will be ok?" Fluttershy asked him, worry evident in her voice.

The Prince merely shook his head. "I'm ok Fluttershy really," he said before looking back at Canterlot. "Although Canterlot will never be the same ever again, and there is still a lot of cleaning up left to do. I now know what I can do to help my family," he said, then looked back at them. "it's time that I started earning my title as the Prince, to the citizens, and the kingdom," he confidently told them.

"You already earned the title silly, remember? Just after you defeated those two meanies!" Pinkie giggled.

"Last call to Ponyville!" The conductor yelled as the train whistle indicated that it is about to leave the station.

"Well I suppose this is goodbye then, don't be strangers, ok? You are welcome to visit the castle anytime."

"Aw you too, come visit us more often. We can have more parties!" Pinkie replied, hugging him. Once hers ended, he went and tried to embrace Fluttershy, but things got a bit awkward as they could not seem to approach one another, ultimately settling for a hoof shake. "Take care Fluttershy, say hi to your animals from my part."

"I'll will Blueblood. Bye!" She quickly replied before the two mares boarded the train. Pinkie looking at Fluttershy confused.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! Let's go Pinkie before they ran out of candy!" Fluttershy quickly departed as Pinkie yelped and rushed inside after her, while the Prince watched the train leave the station.

_Huh, ok…that was weird, why was it so hard to hug Fluttershy?_ He pondered for several minutes. _Could it be because of what happened in the garden with the…?_ His eyes widened before he shook his head, trying to clear his mind. _Nah, it can't be that, she is a pony, she is a pony, get your head together Blueblood! It can't be that._ He convinced himself with a chuckle as he left the station.


	54. The Concern Of Friends

**The Concern Of Friends**

"Will that be all dear?" the mare in charge of the candy cart asked nervously as Pinkie hoofed over a big bag full of bits after basically buying up half of her inventory.

Pinkie pondered for a while before nodding. "Yep I think we are good for now, but don't go too far!" She said half-jokingly before closing the door of her cabin. The cart mare only sighed and started walking away.

_Now I understand why we got that weird letter from Princess Celestia asking us to load double the food we usually put on the train. I thought she was joking!_ She lamented _Well, at least my sister did it anyway. Let's hope that mare doesn't ask us for more._ She gulped before resuming her work.

Meanwhile, Pinkie started to eat a cookie while Fluttershy kept looking out the window at Canterlot.

"Still sad that you had to leave the royal garden?" Pinkie inquired, snapping the pegasus back to reality.

"Hm? Oh! Y-yes, yes, that's it. I'm gonna miss all those animals, and I had so much fun with them now that they are no longer scared of me," she answered with a shy smile remembering the night with fondness.

"Ah, don't worry, I'm sure Blueblood will let you play with them next time we come to visit," Pinkie responded with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "Besides, they can always come to visit you in the sanctuary if they miss you, right?"

"I suppose so," Fluttershy responded, still feeling pretty down. Pinkie looked at her friend with concern before she got an idea.

"Oh! I know, what do you say if we play true questions to pass the time? That would take your mind off things!" she offered with a smile.

"Well...I suppose I could try. how do we play it?" Fluttershy asked, thinking about the idea.

"Oh it's easy, I ask you two options, and you need to pick one, no thinking about it. Just say your answer without thinking right away, like this: Cookies or muffins?"

"Well, I don't…"

"No thinking!" Pinkie interrupts her. "Ok once again, gummy bears or choco chips?"

"Choco chips," Fluttershy answered right away this time.

"There you go, now you getting it. Ok, here we go, snakes or frogs?"

"Snakes."

"Beach or Mountain?"

"Beach."

"Carrot or Apple?"

"Apple."

"Why couldn't you hug Bluey?"

"Because I kissed him," Fluttershy answered, before thinking as her eyes widened in surprise, followed by Pinkie.

"You kissed him!?"

"Shhhh!" Fluttershy covered her mouth with a huge blush on her face. "Please don't so loud! I-It was an accident I…I at least I think it was," she confessed, not so sure about her answer. "You tricked me," she muttered under her breath.

"But…but what about Discord? Didn't you two, were…?" She asks in complete shock.

"What? A couple?" Fluttershy looked at her in surprise. "No!…well maybe? We were and weren't at the same time, I…think? It was the weirdest experience of my life. Anyway, it's something personal."

"Please, Fluttershy, tell me. What happened? I promise I will not tell anyone. Besides, you'll feel better talking about what's troubling you."

"No, Pinkie."

"Come on, please, please, please! I swear no one will know! Besides, it's never as good to keep things that are troubling you a secret right? Don't you want to share a tiny bit at least?"

Fluttershy kept quiet but listened to what her friend was saying and started to think.

"I know I always feel better after talking about something that is bothering me. You know you can trust me, so, please. Just a tiny bit? Just a bit. It will be our secret!" Pinkie coaxed her to open up a bit more until Fluttershy sighed in defeat and looked down.

"Alright, I suppose you're right, and it will be nice to tell somepony about what happened." She nodded with a smile, and she ultimately decided to trust her friend.

"Yay!"

"But it's a secret, ok Pinkie? You must Pinkie Promise me you will not tell anyone, not even gummy!" Fluttershy warned.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake on my eye," she made the gestures before Fluttershy stopped her from performing the last part, "You don't need to stick it, Pinkie."

"Ok," Pinkie smiled and ate said cupcake . "So, what happened?" She asked with a mouth full of baked goods.

Fluttershy sighed and looked off into the distance. "It wasn't like we didn't think about the idea, I mean, it makes a bit of sense that Discord would develop something for me as I was his only friend at the time, as sad as that might sound. And well..." she blushed a little and played with her mane. "I don't have a lot of stallion friends for me to hang out when I'm not with you, that is, so things happened."

"Oh Fluttershy, you go, girl!" Pinkie encouraged her with a hoof in the air, making her more embarrassed.

"Please don't make it awkward!"

"Ah please, Flutters, you courted a spirit of chaos! How awesome is that?"

"Not very, actually," she said in shame bringing Pinkie's hoof down, confusing her.

"Ah?"

"Do you remember how Discord often makes a copy of himself to talk to, and if he doesn't do chaotic things he vanishes?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, not of all his copies are him, or even male and a relationship with one pony can potentially have the same effect on Discord," she confesses before sighing. "Even in a herd, having a relationship is meant to have a constant in your life, your special some pony or ponies. The name itself is a give away of why he couldn't be with me, 'stable' relationship."

"Oh no," Pinkie feared for what was coming.

"Being unpredictable is what Discord is. If he tried to be a nice colt friend he will start to vanish. If he acted like he normally does, well, our relationship will go nowhere and will spiral endlessly without control. That was always where things were doomed to lead, and worse Discord was fearing that I was slowly losing my mind by trying to make it work…and he was right. Just a couple of weeks trying to find a rhythm to our situation was proving to be stressful mentally and emotionally. As redundant as this might sound, the best description for Discord on a relationship would be 'chaotic', he has both of every type of relationship, known and unknown to pony kind and has not at the same time, using his copies as…y-you can get an idea," she confessed with a blush while looking away.

"Y-Yeah, n-no need to get into details with that one," Pinkie remarked not wanting to hear the details of that either and having a blush of her own. "A-Anyway in the end, what did you decide?"

"It was hard to admit, but ultimately we both decided to end…whatever you would call what we had and stayed friends, and hoped for the best. Discord was even thankful that I helped him experience something new and beautiful, and he promised to be my 'wingman' if I ever needed his help in the future. He even introduced me to copy Fluttershy."

"Copy Fluttershy?"

"As I said, not all his copies are of him; she is funny, and I honestly felt flattered that he wanted to keep me around even if she was and wasn't real, and yes, I know. I try not to think too hard about it either," Fluttershy answered, looking at how confused Pinkie was with a chuckle.

"Ah, that's adorable!" she commented once she recovered, "and it's great, that means that he will not have any problem with you dating Bluey."

"D-Date?! No! I couldn't Pinkie I…I don't know if I'm ready to try again, and is not like I have feelings for him or anything. Nope, we are just ponies that know each other" She stammered out, trying but failing to convince Pinkie, The small hint of red on her cheeks giving her away. "Besides, he is not even the _true_ Blueblood. He has the soul of a human inside of Blueblood's body and is learning about our customs and... oh by Celestia! I have a type..." She said, holding her head in realization.

"I say you should go for it Fluttershy. You two would be a perfect couple!"

"But I…I don't know if I even want to be an alpha either."

"Oh right, because he's also the prince..." Pinkie remembered that detail. "Well, you can figure that out later, and in the meantime, you two can still be friends, right?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind that," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Thank you Pinkie, you were right. It certainly helps to talk about this stuff," she thanked her before taking a cookie. "And remember, not a single pony knows about this, ok?"

"Not a single one!" Pinkie swore as the tension left the cabin, and both mares enjoyed the rest of the trip back to Ponyville, "So…what did your mom think when you told her about Discord?" She asked intrigued to learn, which in turn made Fluttershy chuckle.

"Sure, Pinkie, I will tell my compassionate mom about my dating life with the spirit of chaos." She replied sarcastically, "Hi mom, how are you doing? Have you meet my might or not be colt friend yet? He's Discord, the spirit of chaos and lord of misfortune that terrorized Equestria in the past…twice! Do you want to pass out now, or would you like to wait until you're near the couch?" She dramatized

At that time in Canterlot

"Greetings, King Raptor" Princess Celestia stood and gave her guest a formal bow as she saw him enter the meeting room.

"Thank you for receiving me, your highness," an elder griffin with the top half of an eagle and the bottom half of a lion said returning the gesture. A long and white goatee on the bottom of his jaw and some wrinkles on his face indicated the griffin's age. He was wearing a royal cape, and a silver talon held the pieces together with a golden crown on top of his head. "I'm glad to see you in good humor and willing to talk with old friends again, Celly." He replied, dropping the honorific and looking at her with a smirk as he took a seat, making Celestia's cheeks blush a little from the embarrassment.

"Yes, back then it wasn't exactly one of my proudest moments. The things I say, I swear Rapt I didn't mean to offend you in any way I just…"

"Celly please…" Raptor stopped her by lifting one of his claws "…if any race understands your actions it's us, believe me, I know. Compared to what a mother griffin would have said in your horseshoes, your actions were pretty tame." He put the talon down and looked at her with a smile. "So let's just put that behind us and move on."

"Thank you, Rapt."

"Don't mention it. I should be the one thanking you, or rather, thanking your nephew." He responded with a smile, which confused the princess.

"The Black feather gang that your nephew managed to defeat. They are a group of ruffians that have been terrorizing my kingdom for a while now. My best soldiers were on their trail when suddenly they appeared to have vanished without leaving a trace. Who was ever to know that all they did was to move their operations into your territory? They must have been a real pain in the flank to deal with, weren't they?"

"Indeed, and with the martial court putting in place, I was mostly unaware of their activities either until I read the full report. I suppose it is a good thing that my nephew put a stop to them, right?"

"Indeed." They shared a small laugh while a servant arrived and poured some tea for them to enjoy before giving a bow. Raptor took the cup and drank a little before sighing in contemplation. "There is the other reason for my visit, Celly."

"Hm?"

"As much as I enjoy catching up with an old friend, and drop the tedious honorific, I'm afraid I'm also here on business."

"I understand," Celestia replied in disappointment. "What might be the issue, King Raptor?"

"The second issue it a subject that I would postpone as much as possible so, I will start with the easiest of the problems. Of all the gangs your nephew busted, only one of them was of Equestrian in origin. I don't know who tipped them off, but various groups from other nations came to Manehattan to make it their home, so the chances are that very soon other rulers of their nations will arrive to take their respective trouble makers out of your hooves."

"I don't see the problem in doing so," Celestia replied with a raised eyebrow.

"The problem rests in the fact that all of the money your nephew stole from them, a big chunk belongs to our respective nations, and in some cases, there are even national treasures that need to be returned," he explained with a sigh. "Celestia I swear, in honor of our friendship and our alliance the last thing I wish to do is to steal your money, but my talons are tied, and I'm not sure the other rulers will as patient as I when asking for their treasure back."

"I understand Raptor, and I appreciate that you came to me personally to address this issue. Do not worry, though," she responded with a calm smile, "I'm sure this problem is nothing a good session of negotiations and compromises can't fix, after all…" She smirked at him and leaned forward ever so slightly "…feigning ignorance, about the whereabouts of your respective gangs, will take you so far. And you were the only one that sent me a message about the black feather gang _BEFORE_ my nephew put a stop to their activities."

"Heh, clever and sharp as ever, I see you haven't lost your touch yet, Celly." Raptor chuckled with a pleasant smile as they shared another laugh. "I have been in the game the longest, and this isn't the first time dealing with situations like this."

"Yes…but it probably will be the first with the second issue." Raptor continued while turning his head away from her nervously.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Say, Tia, I must say this is a pretty good tea, by chance it imported? Tell me where did you get your hooves on it?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"Raptor!" Celestia did not budge and pressed the issue even more. "We are not children pretending to be rulers, and we are both grown-ups here. Whatever you have to say, I can take it, so please have more faith in me."

He sighed in defeat and looked down. "You are not going to like it."

"All the more reason for me to hear it as soon as possible then."

"If you insist," he closed his eyes and then looked back at her after a moment. "So far, it is but a rumor, but at this point, I would be more than surprised if it stayed that way. With the arrest of all those gangs, It brought the attention of the rulers I mentioned, as well as who would put a stop to them… all the while stirring up the wrath of the gods in their hearts."

Celestia is surprised when hearing that. "Blue blood.

She uttered the name and Rapto nodded in agreement. "Celly in the name of our friendship and as a king, I must ask you, did you have something to with his sudden change of heart?"

"Of course not! I would never do that to my family," she responded, offended by the implication

"Then, what happened?" He asked, completely serious. "Not too many of us, if not every other ruler you encountered in the past, barely knew him. Maybe they didn't even know he existed in the first place. By the gods Celestia, I only met him twice, and on both occasions, all it took was one glance at my soldiers for him to tremble like a leaf and run away like a chicken who just stared down a fox. If you hadn't explained it to me, I honestly would have thought that he was your court jester. I'm sorry to tell you, but the truth is, for me, he was kind of like a poodle, no scratch that, a poodle can be vicious and dangerous. He was more akin to a chihuahua; small, easily frightened and not at all dangerous."

"I…can't really blame you for thinking that way, you aren't too far off," Celestia admitted in shame.

"And that is my point, when he was exiled, I didn't think you would get that mad over someone like him. But I never expected him to go into self-imposed exile as a puppy and then return a couple of months later as a freaking Hell Hound!" he confessed in complete shock. "With four heads in his jaws as a present to boot!"

"Believe me, Raptor, I would have shared in your shock too if I wasn't just happy to have him return to me that day," Celestia agreed with a smile before her expression turned somber. "And to put your mind at ease, there is no dark secret of his behavior. Some time ago, a …event happened to him, an assassination attempt on his life."

Raptor was left speechless as he looked at her with his full attention. "By the gods."

"The worst part…it succeeded, and for a brief moment, my dear nephew was gone until, by some miracle, his soul found its way back to him," she smiled again. "The event shook him to the very core and served as a wake-up call to change his ways. He decided never to be weak again and became a better version of himself, as well as pay for all his previous sins. In a way, you could say that he was born again, and this time he intended to be a stallion that deserved his title."

"So that's what happened..." Raptor nodded a couple of times. "I've heard stories of my soldiers going through something similar, and making them reflect on their lives, but none of them ever actually went to the other side and returned," he stood up and walked to a nearby window where he is surprised to see Blueblood practicing his paired swords on a wooden dummy. "One could only tremble in fear, just imagining what horrors he saw that made him became the pony he is today."

"I hope this helps clear things up and calms the other rulers who had the same question as you did, Raptor," Celestia finished, approaching the griffin as he nods.

"Half of the question at the very least," he then chuckled and shook his head. "A Hell Hound, I suppose I wasn't all that far off in describing him like that either."

"Yes, I suppose you weren't," Celestia shared in his laughter. "And I think I know what the other half of the question is then," she said solemnly.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but you know how the game is played. It always boils down to power, and opportunities for a stronger alliance," he sighed tiredly "With his new capabilities, an arranged marriage proposal will be unavoidable."

"I understand," she nods once. "And you are right, it would have happened sooner or later, so it will be wise to be prepared for them. Thanks for warning me, Rapt."

"Anytime Celly…and you know, my grand-daughter is close to his age, and she is a very prominent fighter with a sharp mind and beauty worthy of serious of suitors, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she and your nephew…"

"Not going to happen." Celestia stopped him in his tracks with a calm smile.

"Eh, can't blame an old bird from trying," he shrugged with a chuckle. "Still, be on alert Celly, maybe I was the first, but I surely will not be the last, and chances are that the other rulers will not take rejection as gracefully as I do."

"They are free to try, Raptor," Celestia responded, "And I will happily teach them that no means no," she finished, maintaining her calm.

"Oh those poor souls, they don't know what are they messing with, do they?" Raptor shook his head with a final chuckle.

"No, they really don't" Celestia answer with a chuckle of her own.


	55. Change Of Guards

**Change Of Guards**

Twilight kept holding her chest and breathing rapidly as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie finished telling their story and how things got back to normal in Canterlot. "Ah…Twilight, are you ok?" Fluttershy asked concerned as Spike handed her a paper bag for her to breath, trying to calm down.

"Ok…Ok I think I'm ok now" Twilight said after a couple of minutes, "And I'm so happy that all this mess is finally over" Her ears pinned to her skull as she looked at Canterlot from one of her windows in the principal's office "I still can't believe that for 3 months, things in Canterlot was so bad, that the princesses wouldn't take my offers to assist. I was apprehensive about Blueblood."

"We all were Twily," Pinkie answer. "But, you know we can't just go and solve every problem that Equestria has, right? And besides, Fluttershy and I got it under control." She boasted in pride.

"You sure did Pinkie," Twilight looked at them with a smile, before glancing down at the newspaper. "S-So, are you telling me that Blueblood managed to create a NEW form of magic, and became a pony of shadows all by himself?" She inquired as she began to shake more and more. At first, Fluttershy thought that she was scared, but once she saw the smile on her friend. Fluttershy understood that Twilight was rather excited by the news. Perhaps a notch _too_ excited.

"Aja, AND came back to Canterlot with the three founders of Equestria, and like a million new spells, Equestria has never seen before!" Pinkie continued, oblivious to how she was increasing her purple friend's emotional state.

"The three founders of…!?" Twilight stopped herself and took a deep breath before looking at them with a more relaxed expression. "Well, if you excuse me, girls, I need to go and see my cousin that I love very much," She said while packing quills and scrolls in a backpack, forgoing any semblance of subtlety.

"Twilight," Fluttershy approached her with a neutral expression. "Are you sure that would be prudent? What about your duties as principal?" She reminded her

"Oh, I imagine Starlight can cover for me for a couple of days. Besides, it's not like the school needs me here at the…"

Right on cue, Spike entered the room with a tower full of papers, "Twilight it an emergency!" He cried out in panic, " The latest shipment of ink we ordered from Quills and Sofas was accidentally swapped with invisible ink from the shop of Pranks and Gags. And all the students used that ink!" He explained as he put the papers on her desk.

"What! B…But then I will have…"

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I'm afraid we will have to readminister that test," Spike informed her in disappointment.

"Can Starlight do it?" Twilight wheedle

"Sorry, she can't either," Spike responded and gave her a postal letter. "She and Trixie are still in Appleloosa on a performance for the town's ponies, and she won't be back for another two weeks."

"But making all those copies of blank tests took me days!" She complained

"Twilight," Fluttershy sighed and approached her friend "Blueblood can wait, right now you have work to do here," She told her with a smile. "I'm sure he will be able to answer any question you have later."

"Yeah, plus, isn't that invisible ink too?" Pinkie pointed out, looking at an ink glass Twilight had intended to take to see Blueblood.

"It is? Oh pony feathers, does that mean the teacher staff also got these joke ink?" She sighed in exhaustion, "This is going to take even longer than I expected."

"Don't worry Twilight we'll help" Fluttershy offered with a smile

"Yeah! It will be like a sleepover, where we write a lot of questions!" Pinkie half-joked with enthusiasm, "Plus, it will be a great way to catch up on what we missed."

"Thank you, you two," Twilight nodded in appreciation for the offer of her friends.

"Well, since this is going to be a sleepover, I better get going and make some snacks," Spike said with excitement as he pulled a chef hat out of nowhere and placed it on his head. As he started to leave, he began scratching his left cheek

"Wait! Spike!" Pinkie stopped him and pointed at something on his face, "What is that?"

"What is what Pinkie?" Spike turned to see himself in a mirror only to discover a red scale on his face. "Looks like a red scale."

"Uy! Do you think Ember is calling you?" Pinkie suggested

"Nah, I don't think this is like the call of the dragon lord…ah, it's probably nothing, I shed scales all the time. This one will probably fall off by tomorrow morning," He answered with a shrug as he left the room.

The mares took glances at each other in slight worry as Spike left

"Yeah, definitely there are a lot of things you still need to do here before going to Canterlot Twilight" Pinkie mentioned

"Yeah, maybe there is," she agreed with a nod.

Meanwhile on the palace in Canterlot

"…and then finally you must always remember to kiss the _left _hoof in case the ambassador is female and grab ahold of the right one in case they are male because those exchanges are a form of…" The head butler finished writing the code of conduct when meeting ambassadors from Prance. Then looking back at the Prince only to find him slumped at his desk, staring at an empty notebook with only half of what he had just explained written down. A couple of days after the incident with Jet Set and Upper Crust had been sorted out, Princess Celestia appointed the head butler, Flicker, as Blueblood's instructor in etiquette and refinement when meeting and hosting ambassadors, diplomats and other rulers from various countries.

Naturally, the Prince was confused as to why his aunt had this sudden urge for him to learn about social manners and royal conduct as fast as he could, but her reasoning with him dismissing his lessons as a prince rather often and getting distracted on various occasions was solid. The founders helped prevent him from lagging too far behind, but unfortunately, Platinum's teachings were just too outdated, and some of the customs had been changed or altered, so a fresh and updated version was needed. Therefore, the head butler of the castle was the best option to teach him about the new forms of etiquette.

As tedious as it sounded, the Prince knew that it was necessary to have all of these lessons mastered eventually, and he gathered that she only wanted to get them over and done with. So Blueblood decided to trust her decision and put effort into becoming a better prince and finish them so he could return to his private magic lessons. Yet his mind kept wandering back to an incident that happened that morning, preventing him from giving his teacher the attention he deserved.

"PRINCE BLUEBLOOD!" Startled, the Prince jumped backward to see a very irritated Flicker staring back at him. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"I'm so sorry, Flik…" the butler cleared his throat in irritation, "…I mean Profesor Flicker, it's not that your lessons are boring or anything, it's just, I suppose I have been a bit distracted lately," Blueblood said with a sigh as he looked down, oblivious of the butler rolling his eyes.

"Looks like appearances are not the only thing you decided to copy from princess Luna," the butler mumbled to himself in annoyance.

"What was that?" the Prince asked, not hearing him correctly, though the butler just dismissed his question. "Not important, and since this issue seems to be so large that you can't concentrate, perhaps it's pertinent we solve it before continuing our lessons. So what seems to be the problem, your highness?"

"I suppose it all started this morning after breakfast," the Prince started to tell the events in as much detail as he could...

"You're leaving!?" the Prince asked in shock as Amber and Stellar nodded solemnly while hoofing over the transfer papers that the Prince had given them some time ago.

"I'm so sorry, your highness. I know you wanted to put us back as your guard, and we appreciate your efforts on removing us from prison guard duty, but the assassination attempt on your life has put Stellar and I on edge, we fear that we will be unable to perform our jobs correctly until we fix the problem" Amber confessed honestly, "The killer not only avoided capture by our best trackers, but he also showed an unknown and dangerous power which, if not for the timely intervention of Princess Mi Amore, could have resulted in many casualties…most of them possibly by my hooves," she answered in shame, before looking back at him. "That is why we requested to be transferred to the Crystal Empire to receive proper training and teaching about this new 'emotional spectrum' magic and will later request permission to track this would-be assassin."

"Sounds fair, I'm coming too. It'll be easier to find him if you give him a tar…"

"Out of the question!" Amber stomped the floor angrily. "I'm sorry, your highness, but Tartarus will freeze before Stellar or I use you as bait. The kingdom and the princesses need you. You will be safer here in the castle."

"But what about you two?"

"This is what we are trained for, your highness. We are more than capable of dealing with this kind of danger. I assure you, the Celestial Centurions are not something to sneeze at," she proclaimed with pride.

"But…when I will be able to see you two again?"

"I'm afraid that it is hard to say. This opponent is cunning and must have as of yet unknown resources at his disposal if he managed to infiltrate the castle with such ease. Tracking him down will be a challenge in and of itself, but I assure you, we will catch him and bring him here to answer for his crimes."

"Isn't there anything I can say to change your mind?" the Prince pleaded, trying to think of something to say that can make them reconsider. Their resolve remained firm though, as they shook their heads.

"It a matter of honor, your highness. This assassin made a mockery of our duty as royal guards and forced us to hurt innocent ponies while making his escape. We will not be able to find peace until he's brought to justice."

"I…I understand, I... even though I could use my authority and order you to stay as my guards. I won't just force you to stay; it would not be fair, and I couldn't do that to my friends," he told them with a sad smile. "I can only wish you a safe trip and good fortune in your hunt."

"Thanks for understanding, your highness, we swear we will not let the crown down!" They proclaimed before giving him a courteous bow.

"Nothing you do will ever do that, best of luck to you two. I hope we will be able to see each other again soon enough."

The Prince concluded his story with a sigh as he started to flip a pencil in the air with his magic. "And after that, they packed their equipment, boarded the next train to the Crystal Empire, and were gone."

"Well, I must applaud your composure during that event, your highness. Listening to your staff's opinions and allowing them more freedom with their actions are certain qualities a kind and grateful ruler must practice," Flicker commented, "Yet I fail to see the issue in the matter? Why does their departure bother you so much?"

"It bothers me because I grew to like those two. Sure, they were my assigned bodyguards, but more than that, they were my friends. Things will not be the same without them around."

"Ah, I get it now," Flicker nodded in understanding, "An excellent observation your highness."

"Observation?" Blueblood looked at him with a raised eyebrow

"I understand what your concerns are; you have yet to find suitable replacements to act as your new bodyguards."

"R-Replacements!? No, Mr. Flicker, that is not what I…"

"Please, sir, there is no need for modesty. There is nothing else to say," he went to his desk and gathered up a group of books, "I believed we could pause our lessons until you find two new female guards to serve you in their place."

"But I…"

"I have full faith that you can hoof pick the best candidates for the job, and taking on such responsibility will certainly please both of your aunts, your highness."

"But Mr. Flicker, I'm not…"

"I will inform princess Celestia about the news right away. I'm sure she will be more than pleased with your showing of maturity and dedication to follow the rules," he tells him a big smile as he marched out of the room, leaving the Prince alone and confused on what just happened.

"…looking for new guards," the Prince finished his sentence to an empty room before holding his head in annoyance.

_Damn it, Flicker, you got it all wrong and made things worse!_

He then sighed in defeat and nodded a couple of times, starting to leave and walk down the halls while deep in thought.

_Buuuuut, he also had a point there. The rules say that I should have some guards with me, just like my aunts do, but Stellar and Amber…Hey, wait a minute, if I need new guards, does that mean…?_

At that moment, Blueblood recalled the little condition his idiotic counterpart made a long time ago, before shaking his head rapidly.

_No, not that! Bad enough was that Stellar and Amber had to admit that they were single publicly, now I have to keep asking the female guards which one of them is available to do their job?! Damn you, Flicker! Could you have made things more awkward?!_

"Your highness?" The voice of Clean Breeze alerted the Prince, who looked over to see a confused maid carrying a basket full of towels staring back at him. "Are you ok? You stopped in the middle of the hallway and were shaking your head for a few minutes." her voice was full of confusion and a hint of worry.

"Sorry, Miss Breeze, Flicker just gave me a particularly hard assignment." He confessed to her, picking his words carefully, which in turn made the mare smirk and chuckle. "You are preaching to the choir, sir. I'm more than familiar with how demanding the head butler can be," she remarked with a roll of the eyes. "Let me guess? He told you something about how, as a prince, you need to act and carry yourself with dignity and elegance and need to practice how to walk or something like that?"

"Something like that, this morning my two bodyguards decided to leave the castle so they can track down the assassin that attempted to end me. When I told Flicker how I was going to miss them since we had become good friends, he suggested that I should pick new replacements."

"Yeah, that sounds like him, dedicated to this job before anything else. And what did you say in response, sir?" she asked, putting the basket down.

"Not much. He left saying that he was going to inform my aunts about me looking for new guards, which means things got more complicated."

"Ah, classic Flicker," she rolled her eyes in understanding, "So what will you do, your highness?"

"I suppose I should at least look around. I mean, it's still the law, and I don't know when Stellar and Amber will return, so maybe temporary replacements don't sound so bad."

"Normally, I'd say that having guards would be pointless considering what you did in Manehattan, but even the princesses have guards with them all the time, so I get your point." She then recalled something. "Now that I think about it…even Cadence had them too before one of them became her husband. Why does Princess Twilight not have at least one yet?"

"I suppose her friends are keeping that role somehow," Blueblood replied with a chuckle. "If we are going to be technical, Rainbow Dash could be considered one, and for them, things might be a bit different since they are the Elements and all that."

"Yeah, that is probably the reason," Breeze agreed with a smile.

"Well, back on track, that is my predicament, and I'm kind of embarrassed to go around asking for replacements."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine your highness, there are plenty of available guards in the barracks who would be happy to take the job, sir."

"If only things were that easy, there's that particular law about guards that says that the soldiers must be of the opposite gender of the ruler they are protecting."

"Oh? Oh! So that is why the princess's guards were all male. I thought Princess Celestia just wanted some eye candy," she mumbled the last part mostly to herself, "yeah, that could be more of a problem but still solvable, don't worry your highness there are still plenty of options…"

"It also states that they need to be…single at the time," he finished with a face complete red catching Breeze off guard. "Come again?"

"Don't ask! Let's say the princess made one small mistake, and now that little condition is part of the law, and they haven't had the opportunity to change it!"

"Oh, my," Breeze exclaimed with her cheeks heating up. "Wait! Does that mean that the guards watching for princess Celestia are available?!" She asked with a big smile on her face.

"Probably, I don't know. It has been a while, and no law says that they need to stop once they find a partner," he tells her with a sigh. "And well, now you see what the problem, not only will I have to ask well trained and armed mares if they can look after me, I will have to ask them if they are single or not," he sighed again and kept his head low. "Well, better get going, a lot of mares are going to slap me very soon so it might as well get that over with," Blueblood said in defeat as he started to walk away.

"Well, good luck, and don't worry, they probably will know about those conditions by…" Her eyes widen once she remembered something. "You highness wait!" Breeze rushed past and placed herself in front of him, "Before you go, do the guards need to be unicorns?"

"I suppose not, why?"

She thinks about something for a while before looking at him again. "I'm not saying that it will be guaranteed, but if you are not picky about what race they are, I might know of two mares that could fit the conditions," she suggests him with a smile

Soon after

Following the advice of Clean Breeze, Blueblood went straight into the top of the east tower of the castle, a place located on Princess Luna side of the building where, according to Breeze, any flying guard in Canterlot used to practice their aerial maneuvers without needing to worry about any civilians or weather patrols getting in the way of their training.

After taking a deep breath, the Prince stared at a big iron door in front of him before opening it with some difficulty using both his magic and his entire body. He was assaulted by a breeze of cold air the second he stepped inside the rooftop where dozens of pegasi with bat wings, slit yellow eyes and slightly larger ears were currently practicing defensive, and offensive air maneuvers in what the Prince could only assume was the inside of a giant storm cloud they placed on top of the tower to train. Alongside them were regular pegasi doing the same, yet all of the Prince's attention was falling into those unusual bat ponies Clean Breeze had described to him not too long ago.

_Holy Belmont whip! It true! Bat ponies DO exist!_

The Prince thought in shock as he took a couple of steps forward to admire these new creatures closely until he felt something hit his chest, preventing him from going any further.

"Careful, your highness." Looking down, he saw a baton pressing against him, and following to its origin; he saw a tall bat pony with light blue fur and green mane and tail with a bald spot on his forehead and milky left eye. The wrinkles in his face and body were a dead give away of his advanced age, yet he seemed to be in excellent physical condition. The vest he wore was covered in various medals gave Blueblood the idea of him being a veteran. "Even if you are a prince, we are STILL in the middle of our training routine, and you wouldn't want to get too close to those thunder clouds, sir." He used his baton to point to one of the smaller clouds currently been used to shoot at the cadets in their sessions. "I speak from experience, those nasty bitches can hurt like the dickens," he half-joked, widening his milky eye so the Prince could have an idea of how dangerous they can be.

"Oh gosh, just imagining it is enough to cringe," the Prince shivered at the idea and took a step backward. "Thanks for the warning, and sorry, didn't mean to get in the way of your practice."

"Ah, we were about to wrap it up anyway, sir," the stallion said with a dismissive hoof, "So, may I ask why did you honor us with your presence, your highness?" the stallion asked with a raised eyebrow before one of his ears twitched. "Wait! Hold that thought for a second," he raised one hoof before suddenly turning his attention back to the recruits.

"**TWISTER, IF YOU DON'T GET THAT SORRY FLANK OF YOURS MOVING, I'LL PERSONALLY THROW YOU INTO THE SPIN SIMULATOR AND LEAVE YOU THERE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!"** He yells at the top of his lungs. Scaring the cadet that was lagging on the running course as he flew as fast as he could to catch up to the rest of the pack.

Being impressed by how this stallion had a voice that commanding was an understatement for the Prince as he could only blink while the veteran returned his attention to the royal, changing his demeanor back to normal. "Sorry about that, recruits, am I right? If you don't yank their tails, they will start prancing around in the field," he complained with a small chuckle, "So anyway, where were we?"

"Well, the thing is, I came here because I was kind of wondering…"

"…, isn't it obvious Sergeant? He is checking the candidates," a female voice interrupted him, and when looking back, Blueblood saw two bat pony twins with the same light pink fur. A blue and purple royal barding covered them with what appeared to be a medallion in the shape of a blue reptilian eye on the breastplate as they approached. The only distinguishing characteristic between the two the Prince was managing to find was that the mare that interrupted him had green slit eyes, a matching color mohawk hairstyle, and tail while her companion's eyes and hair color were light blues. "Word spreads fast in the castle, 'especially among royal guards," the mare with blue eyes explained with a smirk, "And the latest news is that the prince of Equestria is on the lookout for new blood to serve as his bodyguards."

"So good that you finally came to your senses and decided to come looking for the very best your highness," The mare with green eyes says with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. "Ever since Blood Moon, my sister and I have been just ITCHING to get to know this new and improved Prince of Equestria," her voice had a hint of excitement. "So what do you say, sir? You tried the rest, are you ready to try the best?"


	56. Honor And Chances

**Honor And Chances**

"Cadets! That is no way to address royalty! On the ground and give me fifty wing push-ups!" the Sergeant quickly reproached the twin bat ponies as they just kept staring at the prince with the same smirk on their faces. They didn't even seem to hear their superior until they dropped to the floor and started performing the assigned exercise using their wings, a feat that caught the prince off guard.

_Can their wings support all of their body weight?_

"My deepest of apologies, your highness," The Sergeant soon lowered his head in front of Blueblood. "These two cadets are our most recent recruits on the royal guard. Even though their aptitude and acuity scores were the highest that we have seen in years, their manners when addressing their superiors are still a work in progress." The Sergeant explained, slowly turning his head to glare at the cadets who kept doing their push-ups at a breakneck pace, not showing any signs of fatigue. Blueblood swore that the one with green eyes was half asleep as she continued working out.

"It …it's OK. I'm still learning about formalities and code of conduct too." Blueblood said, dismissing the incident. "So you don't need to be so formal with me all the time," he said with a smile.

"And we appreciate the sentiment, your highness," the mare with blue eyes replied once she and her sister were done with their push-ups.

"You runts just focus on your exercises!" The Sergeant roared in anger, before looking at the prince, "so sorry, your highness."

"It…It OK, nothing wrong with letting your subordinates speak their minds as long as they respect the chain in command, right? Yes, you two are correct though, I might have phrased it a bit differently, but I am indeed on the lookout for some capable guards to stay close by to me. It's just a temporary job, but unfortunately, the ponies I'm seeking are required to fill certain…ahem! Conditions," he says with some heat forming on his cheeks.

"Oh yeah, rule forty-seven, right? The one that stipulates the need for having some form of security by your side at all times, that need to be mares, in perfect health and…"

"…Yeah! That is the one," Blueblood stopped the Sergeant, not wanting to hear the rest of the rule. "A friend of mine suggested me to come here to look for options. She even told me that she had some guards in mind already that could work,

"Well, your friend seems like a pretty smart pony you highness, all of my cadets are of the finest and more capable pegasi and thestrals Equestria has ever seen,"

_Thestrals?_ The prince look at the Sergeant with a raised eyebrow. _Is that the name of the race of the bat ponies?_

"Lightning fast reflexes, eyes on the sky, and none of that spinning and rolling around in the clouds that those Wonderbolt clowns are so proud of," he said, pointing at various cadets before circling the air with his hoof, in an irritated manner.

_OK, I feel like I just walked into a minefield, better not talk much about it._

"No offense, your highness, I'm sure the unicorn squad is more than capable of serving as a royal guard. Their horns could be useful in restraining an attacker, but when it comes time to protect somepony, seconds can be the difference between life or death" He continued boasting with pride.

"So what do you say we rally the troops, and then worry about which mares haven't been mount…"

"THANK YOU, Sergeant!" Blueblood stopped him before he could finish that crude comment. "T-that will not be necessary. My friend already recommended me to two single mares, and if they accept, has indicated that they could be excellent bodyguards."

The Sergeant laughed and patted his back. "Sir, you are looking for security, not a date, and unless they have another job, they will take the request."

"Maybe, but since they will be following me around, I'd rather avoid future tension with them. If they enjoy their job, their performance will improve," Blueblood argued back.

"Ha! Always looking to make everyone smile. Are you sure you are not the element of laughter, your highness?" he half-joked as he poked Blueblood's chest with his walking stick. "Anyway, which mares did your friends suggest? I will gather them immediately."

"She told me that their names were Daga and Garra," Blueblood answered, making the sergeant pause as he slowly turned his head in the direction of the twins who he just dressed down, both having finished their push-ups and their ears flicked, signaling that they heard their names just now. "Are these them?" The prince asked.

"Sir! Yes, sir!" They both stood at attention, alerting the prince. "And we accept sir, it will be our honor," the mare with blue mane added as they both bowed to Blueblood.

"Oh! Well…thank you two, it will be just temporary, but let's try to get along," the prince smiled at the two mares before getting confused. "Ah, can I ask you which one is which?"

"Wait!" the Sergeant called out to voice his opinion before looking at the prince. "Are you sure you are OK with the twins your highness?" he asked in worry, "As I said, they're still wet behind the ears. Of course, both are top of their class, and I see a lot of potential in them, but neither has had any field experience. Please reconsider, I'm sure I must have some veterans that have no partners or at the very least, are divorced or widows. That can serve much better." He offered diplomatically to the prince.

Blueblood weighed his options before answering, "Maybe, but I'm not exactly looking for permanent replacement either Sergeant, this is just a temporary position. Just think about it, this could be a good opportunity for them," Blueblood commented, "I don't exactly go rushing toward danger…OFTEN," he amended his statement after taking note of the neutral expression of the Sergeant. "And their job will not be something that big either, just following me around. What better way to get their hooves dirty, in a safe manner, than by giving them a try? Besides, with my lessons, chances are that I will be in the castle throughout the time of their service. So, there's not much danger to worry about, and by example, they can learn good manners from other guards as they protect me," Blueblood continued. "Plus they seem eager to try, why not give them at least one opportunity? And if they get too relaxed or cocky, I will do what I can to straighten them out." He offered with a smile.

"OK, if you really will be alright with a couple of rookies..." the Sergeant sighed before glaring at the twins. "Listen well you green fangs, this is probably the most important mission you will receive during your pathetic lives, so you better not embarrass the uniform. You two are now assigned to be the prince's protection detail, guarding the prince's life from now on until relieved, which means he doesn't even sneeze without you being there ready with a handkerchief. If anything happens to him on your watch I will personally impale your wings against a wall like bugs and leave you as examples to all rookies that act like smart ass's with me, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"SIR! YES, SIR!" They both saluted before approaching the prince and placing themselves on either side of him.

"Good," the Sergeant nodded in approval "I will start on the transfer paperwork then, have a nice day, your highness," he turned around and addressed the other cadets. "ALRIGHT, ROOKIES! THAT IS ENOUGH, HIT THE SHOWERS!" he ordered before leaving. The prince heard a collection of sighs in relief and soon after seeing the most of the bat ponies and pegasi slowly making their way out of the tower. Eventually, leaving only him, his guards, and what the prince assumed were the veterans who only wanted to train some more.

"Sir?" The mare with green mane asked Blueblood.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say that we have become big fans of yours since you flawlessly cleaned up Manehattan, and showing the true power of the night."

The prince chuckled at the compliment and scratched the back of his head "Oh it was nothing really, the citizens are the real heroes there. I wouldn't have even been there if not for their help."

"There is no need to be so modest your highness, you were spectacular back there, and I loved the way you transformed into a pony of shadows, do you think, perhaps you could show us…"

The other twin cleared her throat and silenced her sister before looking at the prince. "I'm sorry, your highness. Daga can get excited when meeting celebrities" She apologized with an embarrassed smile.

_Celebrity? Me?_ The prince looked at them, confused. As Garra continued

"Do you mind if Daga and I freshen up as well before we start? We were also training not too long ago," the mare asked him while pulling her sister away.

"Oh! Sure! Sure! Go ahead. I have to go see my aunt about the news anyway, come and meet me in the throne room once you are ready," the prince nodded.

"Thank you, your highness; we will not take long. Let's go, fangirl!" Garra chided her sister as they took their leave, Daga complaining all the way.

"But…but, the prince! At least let me ask for an autograph!"

_Well, at least I think she and Pinkie might get along rather quickly._

Meanwhile on the train heading to the crystal empire

Amber sighed as she kept looking through the window as snow passed by. "The crystal Empire shouldn't be too far away now, any minute we will reach it."

She said before looking at her friend, who nodded at the statement. "Have you ever been to this place?"

Stellar shook her head no.

"Yeah, me neither, I've heard stories of a crystal changing colors according to a pony's mood and the famous Crystal Heart having some degree of healing properties to whoever approaches it. It will be interesting to see how much of that is true, right?" She said, trying to cheer up on their silent ride. Stellar smiled, appreciating the gesture.

"Hey! Is this a mission or a vacation trip?" the voice of Hurricane interrupted the two as they both saw her enter the cabin carrying a bag of junk food with her. Both mares were understandably impressed when they found Hurricane herself at the entrance of the train station, waiting for the two with her bags packed. After Amber told her that they were heading to the Crystal Empire, she didn't say a single word before boarding the train, essentially inviting herself on to their trip. "Don't you mares start to go soft on me now. I was under the impression this was a trip to get tougher, not go around playing tourist," Hurricane remarked, sitting next to Stellar and pulling a liquorish string from her bag using her wing before eating it. "So enough with the gloomy face and the attempts to lighten the mood, would you? If you are going to do something, do it right," she smiled at the two before tossing them a bag of cookies each.

"Here, I will do the talking while you two fill your guts."

"Thanks, Commander," Amber nodded before opening one of the bags before staring at her and then sighing. "Miss Hurricane…why did you come along?" she finally asked, incapable of keeping silent by her sudden, but not unwelcome intrusion.

"Ugh! Finally! I have been waiting for hours for either of you to ask me that!" Hurricane exclaimed with a roll of her eyes and throwing her hooves in the air. "I was beginning to fear you two were just a couple of sheep."

"Commander," Amber responded, hardening her gaze.

"Hold your horses, I'm getting there," Hurricane replied before sighing. "I know how you are feeling, you know?" she said in sorrow as she looks at Amber. "The humiliation, the guilt, and the fear that you made a rookie mistake that almost cost some civilian's life. That assassin did a number on you, didn't he?" she inquired in an understanding tone. Catching Amber off guard.

"How do you…?"

"…Oh please," Hurricane interrupted her with a shake of her head, "You are talking with the mare that had once lead armies to victory from the frontlines. Do you seriously think I don't know when one of my soldiers had a vendetta on their minds? I can tell by just seeing their eyes, and yours couldn't be more transparent. Those are the eyes of a mare that will hunt a bastard to Tartarus if you need to."

She then looked at Stellar. "And you're not the only one with that idea. You are good at keeping it to yourself, Mute, but you can't fool me. You are angry at him, too, right?" Hurricane said, and hardening her gaze, Stellar nodded.

"Yeah, I can tell. There is a plan in that head of yours. There are things you wish to do once you get your hooves on that assassin. Things I won't dare to say," Hurricane confirmed as Stellar merely nodded slightly as her gaze hardened even more.

"So, you came to a stop us then?" Amber questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop you? By the stars no. As I said, I understand and have seen it before, and I know there's no stopping you from this road you are taking," she replied. "I'm just tagging along."

"Why?" Amber asks in confusion.

"Because that road can get pretty dark and finding your way back from that can be a pain in the flank without a guide," Hurricane warned the two as the train came to a stop. "Know this, there will be a line soon enough, and once you cross it, …there is no turning back. I will try my hardest to prevent you two from doing that," she promised as the conductor announced their arrival, and Hurricane stood up

"Plus, I haven't seen the Empire in more than a thousand years, and I want to see what has changed since Penumbra ruled the place. I wonder how that kid of hers did as a king?" She asked in wonder. "What was his name again? Somber…Solace…Soloist? I know it started with an S" she tries to remember as she left the cabin, making Amber and Stellar's eyes widen with the revelation, the two shared a look

"Should…should we tell her?" Amber asked her friend, worryingly.

That night back in Canterlot

Garra and Daga vowed solemnly to both princesses as Celestia and Luna reviewed their credentials with a critical eye. Earlier that day, Blueblood told Celestia about the news and how he had found suitable, temporary replacements for Amber and Stellar. Though, Celestia remained silent on the decision and asked him to wait for Luna so they could both review the candidates carefully before agreeing to let the twins act as his bodyguards. So when the time came, and after Princess Luna finished raising the moon. The prince and his prospective guards arrive to see his aunts and hear their thoughts and opinions.

"So, are your minds at ease now?" Blueblood finally spoke up, unable to take the tense silence any longer. "Their scores speak for themselves, and the Sergeant himself told me that they have a lot of potential. Perhaps enough to be considered for the Celestial Centurions. What else needs to be discussed? They are perfect for the job," Blueblood stated with a smile.

"Blueblood, it's not that we don't get your point. Their portfolios are impressive indeed, and I am proud of you wanted to take on this task, but it just…" Celestia tried to find the right words while looking at him with a hint of awkwardness.

"…neither of them have any real-life experience yet," Luna finished, taking a step forward. "I'm sorry, Nephew, but we can't simply assign recruits to the protection of our family. It's just too risky, and your well being is too important to us, the job being temporary or not," she answered with finality before addressing the twins. "Miss Garra, Miss Daga, we appreciate your willingness to take up this position, but I'm afraid we will have to decline."

"With all due respect, your highness," Garra took a step forward, "Don't you think that this decision seems a bit premature? My sister and I only wish to serve the crown; haven't we earned the right for a chance to prove ourselves worthy of protecting your nephew?"

"This is not for discussion, Private Garra," Luna reproached with a glare. "Our answer is no."

"And will that be OK with you, your highness?" Daga asked, looking at Blueblood.

"Well…I," Blueblood started to say something, but Celestia cut him off and put her wing on his back. "We speak for him, and as my sister told you, our answer stands. Still, we appreciate your efforts, and we will gladly search for an appropriate assignment for you two." Celestia responded with a smile.

"Excuse me?" Blueblood separated from Celestia and looked at her with some irritation, "You speak _for _me? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sweetie, please don't take it the wrong way, but this is an important task. We are just worried about your safety," Celestia responded.

"But not interested in my opinion?" Blueblood pointed out, his anger was starting to rise.

"Of course, we want your opinion," Celestia answered slowly.

"Then why I can't speak for myself?" he started to back away and approached the twins. "And why can't they have the chance to serve as my bodyguards?"

"Nephew, we just told you, they have no field experience. It takes more than good grades and an overachieving disposition."

"…seems to have been enough for Twilight," he muttered in anger, which caught Celestia's attention. "What was that young man?"

"You heard me!" He snapped back, "Was Twilight' experienced in the field' when you sent her to Ponyville? Was Aunt Luna 'experienced' when she entered her first dream? Were _you _on the first day as Princess?" he asked rhetorically.

"Blueblood, this is entirely different."

"How?"

"Because I had a backup plan in case anything had happened," Celestia answered.

"And you think I don't?"

That surprised all the mares.

"You do?" They all asked at the same time as he nodded.

"I had a lot of time to think while I was in exile. There are a lot of things I wanted to do once I came back home," he put his right hoof on Celestia's chest. "Please Auntie, just like you gave me a chance, like you gave Twilight an opportunity, like how you managed to give Aunt Luna and Discord a chance to prove themselves, let me prove to you that I have this under control, please," he pleaded as Luna looked at both at him and Celestia with a wary gaze.

After a long pause, Celestia eventually sighed and closed her eyes. "One chance," she relented, much to the surprise of Luna.

"What?!" Luna took a breath to voice her displeasure when Celestia raised her hoof to stop her from doing so.

"Two weeks, with only allowances to walk IN and NEAR the castle grounds where guards can see you at all times; a trial period to prove to me that they can be capable guards…and then they can keep the job as temporary bodyguards," she laid the conditions out with a neutral expression.

"Thank you, aunt Celestia! You are the best!" Blueblood was about to hug her, but she glared at him, still displeased by how things went.

"ONE chance, Blueblood, just one. If they prove me right, you will be grounded for a month," she warned him.

"What?! But that…"

"Want it to be two?"

…is a strong yet fair and kind deal, one which I am happy to accept with no further alterations being necessary." Blueblood gulped under his aunt's glare, but not as much as the twins once Celestia looked at them this time with a smile. "And I believe you two understand the importance of this assignment and conduct yourselves with all the professionalism and dedication the royal guard is known for, am I correct in this assumption?"

"Yes, your highness!" They quickly replied with a salute, and Blueblood internally applauded their commitment on not stuttering or even sweating under the hard gaze of Celestia. "Good. In that case, I'm grateful for you looking after my nephew."

"Well…with everything now settled, I think we should be going, thanks again aunties, I love you!" Blueblood told them quickly and tried to leave the room as fast as he can without running, escaping the tension in the room.

"Tia!" Luna glared at her sister.

"Don't say it, Lulu, I know."

"Then why did you agree to this?! Tia, we are talking about the safety of our nephew, will you be OK letting recruits looking after him?"

"Of course not…but as much as I hate to admit it, Blueblood raised a good point. By not giving those mares a chance, I would have been a hypocrite. They have a great deal of potential, and saying no would have been mostly me being a paranoid and overprotective aunt," she then smiled as she looked at her sister. "As you said, we can't just keep protecting Blueblood. We should put more faith in his judgment of their character. And who knows? Maybe we are just worrying over nothing here."

Luna sighed but also nodded. "I suppose you are right. Every pony deserves a chance to prove themselves, and I know that better than anyone. Besides," she smiled at the idea, "Having bat ponies guarding the crown could help boost their image in the eyes of the general public."

"Also true." Celestia nodded with a smile, and Luna did the same as they kept quiet for a while.

"…you are still going to spy on them from time to time, aren't you?"

"Like a hawk."

"Yep, that is what I thought." They both shared a laugh between the two before departing to perform their duties for the night, neither of them aware that their peace soon would be broken, heralded by the arrival of an ornate silver chariot entering the borders of Equestria escorted by a platoon of humanoid cat soldiers.


	57. Tricks, Witz And Charms

**Tricks, Witz And Charms**

It all started with the sound of a trumpet in the middle of the day court. Dreading the coming of this day, the warnings of King Raptor rang ominously in the back of Celestia's mind as, with a practiced smile and a well-hidden sigh, the Princess braced herself to receive her unexpected guests. As she gave the order to let them inside the throne room, she ran through the mental checklist that she had prepared beforehand for this type of unannounced arrival. Celestia made sure to keep her day court as lax and short as possible so as not to get too behind on her schedule. That decision was about to pay off as her guards opened the front door allowing a row of anthropomorphic feline guards marched inside alongside a herald who, once in front of her, took a step forward and made his proclamation.

"Presenting His majesty! King Atticus the Fifth, ruler of Abyssinia and the heir to the Abyssinian throne, Prince Atticus the Sixth!" the herald finished and gave her a deep bow before taking a step back and allowing the rulers in question to approach the other.

"Greetings, oh magnificent Princess of Equestria," King Atticus exclaimed with an exaggerated bow as he addressed Celestia. The King's son mirrored his father's movements, though his bow was more polite and hid his embarrassment of his father, making the Princess sigh internally. The king in question was a pure black-furred anthropomorphic lion, with a glistering and ample mane which sparkled against the light. If the princess didn't know better, she would have said that he just came out of the shower with how much it shined. On top of his head sat a golden crown with spikes adorned with glinting rubies. His wardrobe consisted of a red royal cape with edged with white and black spotted stoat fur running its entire edge, a long-sleeved red shirt with multiple gold buttons on it, three golden rings adorned his right hand. Each ring was set with brilliant emeralds. Finally, a single golden monocle rested on his right eye, attached to a delicate platinum chain connected to a ring in his right ear. Next to the king stood the Prince, a younger black lion whose mane had not grown in completely, yet it was long enough that it could easily be styled into a mohawk. Like his father, he had a long-sleeved shirt with golden buttons as well, the fabric differed from the kings by being blue, though no less luxurious. on his brow rested a modest silver crown while on his shoulder rested a pair of golden epaulets.

_Oh good, he still has a flair for the dramatic, this is going to be a long meeting. Prince Atticus, thank the stars you inherited your mother's modesty._ The princess mentally thanked her lucky stars before greeting her guest.

"King Atticus, my dear friend, I'm so glad to see you in good health," Celestia greeted him with a smile before looking at his son. "And little Atticus! You have grown up into such a charming young prince. Each day you look more and more like your father."

"Thank you, your highness," Prince Atticus responded in a low tone, before approaching the princess and offering a single Peruvian lily with his left paw. "For you, milady."

Celestia nodded in approval and took the flower with her hoof before taking a sniff. "A thousand thanks kind sir," She smiled while allowing the prince went back to his father.

"Such skill with words and praises; you truly have the manners of a fair ruler, Dearest Celestia," the king remarked before extending his paw toward her. "May we have the leave to take a moment of your time? The events of the past months have reached even the ears of fair Abyssinia, and there is much to be discussed."

"Of course, King Atticus, in fact, I was counting on your arrival," Celestia replied with a smile, catching the king by surprise.

"You did?"

"Indeed, another ruler recently approached me earlier and was kind enough to explain what concerns plague both you and others. So, I took the liberty of preparing all of the pertinent paperwork for the transfer of criminals back to Abyssinia. I also took the liberty of having a detailed inventory and ledger drawn up to account for exactly what and how much of your national fortune the respective criminal organizations took from you. That was, after all, the reason for your visit, am I right?" She asked with a concerned tone and a raised eyebrow. The King, in turn, paused for a moment to clear his throat.

"Ahem, y-yes, that is exactly what I was looking forward to discussing, your skills and insight seem to be as sharp as ever, dear Celestia."

"Thank you for your praise Atticus, Though I am still not going to simply return the money to you though. We will discuss terms and concessions as rational rulers."

"But of course."

"Oh and my nephew will not be joining us either, I'm afraid his schedule is full at the current moment."

"What?! but…"

A quick gaze into Celestia's eye stopped the King complaining further, "…ah... I mean, that is quite a shame. I was personally looking forward to shaking the hoof of the stallion who single-handedly defeated one of the most persistent problems in my country. And I was hoping he and my son could meet, perhaps even share advice or tips on how to confront future problems with any new criminal masterminds."

"It a real shame indeed, perhaps another time, however. For now, let us talk about the issues at hoof, this way, gentle cats," Celestia kindly responded as she guided the feline pair into a smaller, private room off from the main audience chamber. The confidence in Celestia's step and posture prevented her from seeing the slight smirk that was forming on the king and prince's features as they followed her along.

Meanwhile in the royal garden

"Alright, your highness. For your next lesson, we will study the language of flowers and the proper etiquette when offering one to a fair maiden." Flicker explained pridefully as he, Blueblood, and the prince's new guards walked to the garden until they reached a flower bed who's petals were in full bloom.

"Offering a flower? Really?" the prince glanced at the head butler with a raised eyebrow and a look that did nothing to hide his less than enthused state. "Is it a big deal to give a flower to a lady? I mean, don't we eat them?"

"On the contrary, your highness! A fair number of kingdoms have adopted this custom among the royalty as an expression of friendship and good health to one another," the butler approached one of the roses and with extreme care caressed one of their petals, "A rose, in particular, is a symbolic expression of alliance and good faith, for how beautiful yet fragile the trust for one another can really be…and how its thorns serve as a warning to what will come if the trust is broken," he finished with a stern expression, lightly lifting the rose so the prince could see the thorns on it.

The prince turned his sight to his guards, who nodded in agreement with Flicker's words before returning his attention to his teacher. "Ok, so it is important then, duly noted."

"I assure you, your highness, this is a particularly important and delicate lesson. I urge you to pay attention to this." Flicker reproached with a small glare.

"Don't worry, and you have my full attention. I will listen," Blueblood quickly assured the stallion.

"Good, now as I was saying, contrary to other lessons, the act of offering a flower is exclusive to male royalty who fulfill the conditions of been available and are addressing a princess, with no exception."

"Wait…so each time my aunts receive a king as a guest, they receive a flower?"

"If the king in question is not married? Yes. Like I said, it exclusive is to only those available," Flicker clarified with a nod. "Therefore, just as the princess learned to receive them, you will have to learn how and what to deliver. Everything from your posture to the type of flowers influences these actions, and each flower has its own meaning."

Flicker goes on and points to a section of the flower bed that was covered with Peruvian lilies. "The Peruvian Lilies, for example, are the most common to deliver and is known as the flower of friendship. To give this flower to a princess is to say that you appreciate and treasure their alliance and good relationship," Flicker explained. "Always present it with your _left _hoof. NEVER use your magic to give it. Using your magic indicates tension, and you would be declaring that your alliance with them hangs by a thread."

"Wow, ok, that sounds like a giant insult, I will keep that in mind," Blueblood exclaimed, now scared and giving Flicker his complete attention.

"Glad to hear that you understand the importance of this lesson, your highness. Now, remember when offering a flower, you must always say, 'for you milady,' to which the princess then takes the flower and answers 'a thousand thanks, kind sir' followed by their response for some cases. So quickly, what do you say when offering a flower?"

"For you, milady," Blueblood repeated.

"And how is your posture supposed to be when offering them?"

"I am always to present it with my left hoof, and never use magic," Blueblood answered.

"Good! Now onto the different types of flowers, as I said, the Peruvian Lily is the most common one that you will be using. Still, there is also the Spider Lily, which is to be presented to a princess from a nation that was recently in war. Then, there is the classic red rose, which denotes a romantic interest of the carnal type…"

"Didn't you say respect of alliance and how fragile they can be?" Blueblood pointed out catching the butler's attention, "Excellent sir, I'm glad you paid attention, and yes this rose can be used in that manner as well, that is why it is called the power rose, a show of appreciation for a blooming alliance, and a declaration of intense romantic feelings."

"And how do I know the difference?"

"Depends on where you offer it, just remember this old refrain: if the rose is offered in public, its an alliance appreciation, if it is offered in private, it a love declaration," Flicker recited with a nod.

"Ah, sounds easy to remember, I will keep it in mind," Blueblood responded as Flicker continued his lesson.

"The daffodil is for the interest of restoring or create a new alliance," Flicker continued as he kept pointing out the different flowers as he talked. "The hyacinth flower, to repent and ask forgiveness for past sins. And in case you wish to praise a fair maiden overtly, you never can go wrong with the White Lily," Flicker announced with a smile while pointing at them. "The flower of majesty offers one, and you are telling a princess that she is one of the most majestic and beautiful mares on the area."

"Got it, use it when you want to butter her up," Blueblood resumed, much to the amusement of his guards and the irritation of Flicker. "Please do not diminish the importance of the correct praise your highness."

"Relax, Professor Flicker, I'm just joking," He responded. "Also…if I could ask, why do I need to use my left hoof specifically? Is it a problem if I used my right one?" Blueblood asked in curiosity.

"It a question of intensity mostly, even when you use your left hoof to write or eat, the custom says that that right hoof is the strong side. Using it means that your intention is stronger, friendship with your right hoof, means asking if they would like to have 'benefits' with your relationship, majestic transforms into obsession, and carnal love becomes…"

"…a marriage proposal" Another female voice came from behind to answer Flicker, as Garra and Daga snapped into action and extended their wings, which were equipped with daggers along the edge as they placed themselves next to the prince while facing the new intruder. "Greetings, oh fair prince of Equestria." A tall, slender, albino lioness with a diamond-studded tiara atop of her head stood in front of them, long black dreadlocks with exquisite ornaments adorning some of them covering part of her face, which was painted with a tasteful amount of makeup, her eyes were of a vivid emerald colour. A sleeveless formal green victorian style dress hugged her well-developed body tightly and a golden ring clasped tightly her well-groomed tail greeted the prince as she held her dress and gave him a polite curtsy. "It so wonderful to finally meet you, I hope that I'm not interrupting anything," she greeted with a smile and slightly closed eye.

The moment Flicker saw her, he immediately bowed and put his head as close to the ground as possible, "Your Highness," he says respectfully, yet the prince was too busy at the moment to notice any of that happening.

"Wow," the prince said as he kept staring at the lioness in amazement from her beauty, his cheeks starting to heat up until he realized what was happening. it took only a slight shake his head to snap himself back to reality, "I-I mean" He took a glance at Flicker and how he continued to keep his head low, giving him an idea that the lady was important, so he needed to remain professional "Good evening madam, unfortunately, you indeed were interrupting an important lesson, but if you desired to see me so much I suppose I could lend you some of my time," he responded in a professional and neutral tone.

_What the hell is that? Why all of a sudden did I get so flustered?" _The prince questioned himself, not understanding what was happening to him while maintaining appearances.

"Wonderful! But your highness, there is no need to be formal around me, I assure you, I don't wish to hurt you," the cat responded, taking a step forward only for the prince to take a step back, an action that caught his guard's attention.

"Is everything ok, sir?" Garra asked in concern.

"Would you like us to remove this cat from the premise, sir?" Daga asks him.

"No!" the prince tells in an unexpected outburst of surprise before realizing what he was doing and cleared his throat. "I–I mean, it's ok girls, so far she only wishes to say hi. No need to be rude, be on alert in case of any sudden moment," he instructed quietly, making them nod. "And, I apologize for the outburst; I don't know what came over me," he apologized, ashamed by his actions towards the twins.

_Why do I feel so unsettled?_

Suddenly Flicker clearing his throat and slightly glaring at him, made the Prince realized how rude it must have have been looking, and now was virtually ignoring her. So trying to save face as quickly as possible, the Prince clears his throat and puts into practice the lessons Flicker had imparted so far. " My most humble apologies for my previous behavior, the art of etiquette is a lesson I haven't fully mastered yet; please allow me to start over... Greetings fair maiden, I'm indeed flattered that you wish to meet me in person, and even though I currently am receiving an important lesson, I will not deny your request of spending time with me."

Flicker nodded in approval at his quick reaction as Blueblood give the feline a courteous bow as well. "Would you like to join us for the remains of the lesson, miss…?"

"Oh, where are my manners, a thousand apologies your highness. Please allow me to introduce myself properly, and my name is Nefertiti," she proclaimed in pride, "Princess Nefertiti the First, Princess of Abyssinia and second in line for the throne! And yes," she finishes with a smirk, "I would love to join you for the remainder of your lesson, your highness."

Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire's newest school

Shining Armor was walking toward his classroom while taking occasional glances at Amber and Stellar with some excitement.

"Amber, Stellar, I want to tell you how happy and honored I am that you expressed your interest in learning emotional magic. The fact that I would have the opportunity not only to spend time with you but teach two of the best Celestial Centurions and my heroes fills me with excitement!" He confided in the pair, almost prancing for a moment before he stopped and looked back at them with a slight blush on his cheeks. "…which is probably why I should apologize ahead of time from any small outburst of emotions during our classes, and such are the risks when learning to manipulate your emotions."

"There is no need for apologies, and your Highness," Amber answered as Stellar shook her head, both of them remaining stoic as they walked. "The nature of the emotional spectrum is the reason for our visit in the first place. An outburst is logical to appear; we are counting on it," she said, hardening her gaze alongside her friend.

"Wow, wow, wow, ok, some ground rules before we begin," Shining stopped in front of them with some worry. "As the name implies, the emotional spectrum relies heavily on your current mood, which means you can run the risk of drowning in any single one of them. So to prevent any accidents, we made a rule," he points to a plaque on the wall, "Neither anger or fear enters this classroom. If you're feeling any of that, the school is equipped with special rooms to blow off some steam, and our school counselor will listen to any worries you may have." Shining explained with a smile.

Both centurions looked at each other before regarding the prince in confusion. "Why make such a rule your highness? Aren't those part of the emotional spectrum and normal feelings to have?"

"In most situations, I would agree, but when learning the magic _behind _emotions, those two are the most dangerous. Cadence and I are even considering banishing them both from the curriculum altogether."

"NO!" Amber exclaimed in fear as they both take a step closer to Shining Armor. "I…I mean, why do such extreme measures, your highness?"

"Because even just a little amount of anger or fear puts you in a very vulnerable position. And it's so easy to drown and lose yourself in those emotions. Trust me when I say that. I speak from experience," he remarks with a hint of pain his voice "I tried the fear and anger spectrum once, and that ONE time was enough to teach me how hard it is to control them, and how terrifying they could be if you get lost to them. So…that's why we have the plaque," he finishes, smiling, trying to forget the incident.

"We understand your highness," Amber responded with a nod, "And will respect your wishes, although perhaps you might want to reconsider removing an emotion of your school. I will not deny the risk, but if well trained and prepared, a skilled student might teach you forms to control such power. Perhaps it could be a matter of periodic small doses with a bit of practice," she negotiated with him.

"Well, …maybe? I don't know, but it's not something for beginners to try!" Shining restated his point, "So before we start the class, I need you to promise me, you will clear your minds of any anger or will express it safely in the pertinent facilities, understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they responded mostly out of instinct "I…I mean understood your highness, sorry for that, just a soldier hiccup right there,"

"Nah, don't sweat it. I more than know about that. Between you and me, I still find it hard to believe that I'm sitting on a throne instead of standing beside one, protecting a Princess," he confessed with some embarrassment. "Once a soldier, always a soldier, am I right, ladies?"

"So true," they all shared some laughs as they finally reached the classroom.

"Well, miladies, hope you are as excited as I am right now because this will be one emotional experience."

Both mares rolled their eyes at his wordplay

"Welcome, to Emotional Magic, One-Oh-One!" Shining proclaimed as he opens the doors to his classroom.


	58. Our Place On The Game Board

**Our Place On The Game Board **

Soon after joining Blueblood's lesson in etiquette, Nefertiti took an unusual amount of initiative with each assignment that Flicker imparted to the Prince, at first offering examples or experiences where she had to exercise the practices of nobility. She quickly went so far as to offer herself up to be used to practice hand gestures, greetings, and even proper placement in case of required dances. The latter earned an internal groan from the Prince, who still couldn't believe there were more than fifteen different types of slow dances he needed to learn. And that was just for pegasus dignitaries, and he now realized there is even more for other races.

That sentiment appeared to be shared by the princess, who took advantage of Flicker getting distracted for a moment to speak to Blueblood in his ear. "Talk about tedious, am I right?"

With wide eyes, the Prince looked at Nefertiti in surprise as she merely winked before going back to her charade.

"…aaaaaaand done, separated," Flicker called out, approaching the two with a ruler and measuring the distance between them with a critical eye. "Hmm, five inches more than necessary, your highness. It is a good thing; this is a practice dance. Otherwise, Princess Nefertiti would have had the right to be severely offended."

"Please tell me that you're joking," the Prince looked at his instructor, getting more tired and slightly irked on how many ridiculous rules kept popping up, each one more demanding and dictating then the previously one, how he walked, stand, and even look when doing anything.

"Proper decorum is by no means a laughing manner, your highness! High society has one of the most critical eyes. Every action performed needs absolute devotion and grace," he states earnestly before addressing the princess. "I can't stress enough how grateful I am for your help, Princess Nefertiti, Prince Blueblood may have become more decent and kind in recent months, but his manners on nobility are still a work in progress."

"As true as that might be, my recent condition plus no recollection of a great portion of rules on ethics explains why there will be slow progress in this lesson, Profesor," the Prince defended, occasionally stopping to try and think the right and proper way to phrase his complaints.

"Much work to do indeed," Flicker confirmed in disappointment and with a shake of his head.

"Please, Mr. Flicker, there is no need for such harsh words to the prince," Nefertiti commented as she and the guards approached Blueblood. "It true that mistakes were made and practice can erase errors, but like a diamond in the rough, there is potential in you, your highness. Please don't be wary of having offended me, since you didn't, and I will gladly assist you with your practice some more if you so desire in the future," she ended by giving him a courtesy. The Prince's heart fluttered yet again, and it seemed to force him to take a step back in discomfort once more.

_There is that sensation again; why does this keep happening? Human ladies! You like human ladies!_

The sound of Flicker clearing his throat brought the Prince back to reality. "And I will keep such offer in mind, thank you for your help, fair maiden," the Prince returned the gesture, making Flicker nod in approval.

"Very well, I believe with this; we can conclude our lesson for the day. Princess Nefertiti, would you like for me to escort you to the dining hall? We can prepare a dish for your enjoyment while you wait for an audience with the…"

The princess stopped him by lifting her paw "…that will not be necessary Mr. Flicker, as much as it would honor me to speak with the princesses, the reason of my visit is to speak with Prince Blueblood. With our respective guards as the only ones present if that would be acceptable," she told the butler, her nearly unnoticeable passive-aggressive tone was caught by Blueblood and put him on alert with a general feeling of unease as Flicker nodded. Garra and Daga took glances at one another from those actions and slowly drew closer to Blueblood in a protective manner as they subtly checked their weapons.

"Very well, your highnesses. If you require anything else, feel free to address any maid or butler on duty, and they will assist you to post-haste," Flicker informed them, respectfully bowing to both before taking his leave. Once out of earshot, Nefertiti let go of a particularly big sigh and relaxed her posture slightly before looking at Blueblood. "Aaaaaaand scene," she closed her eyes and joined her fingers together as if she was finishing her performance of an act. Surprising both Blueblood and the twins.

"Once more, another flawless performance of a dignitary, elegant, and proven by your heated checks, gorgeous exotic princess of a faraway land," she proclaimed with a great deal of pride before smirking and chuckling as she looked at the rest. "Ah, are you confused? Didn't you expect such a twist from an otherwise shy and collected Princess?" she asked, putting her hand on her chest as she struck a pose. "Such is the power of acting!" she virtually yelled the last sentence while raising her paw into the air.

_Holy broadway musical, I think I just found the missing cast member of 'cats'_ The Prince thought, as he recovered from the initial shock and cleared his throat before speaking again. "Well, as great as that performance was…?"

"Oh, please hold your applause," she faked modesty while holding her checks.

"Riiight, as much as how good that acting was milady. I find myself forced to ask why make such a performance, rather than speak freely?"

"For the same reason why you are still doing it," she answered honestly, relaxing her posture. "You can drop the act too; by the way, there is no one else looking," she encouraged him.

"Ahemph!" the twins voice their opinion glaring at the princess.

"Right, besides your personal nannies," she added.

"Oh no, that would be entirely inappropriate, miss Nefertiti," the Prince countered, taking a step back as the guards slowly extend their wings on alert.

"Trust me, other than stifling by the book teachers, and the occasional noise noble' nobody cares, especially between us royals," Nefertiti insists with a neutral expression and a roll of her eyes. "Come on; I wish to talk with the _real_ Blueblood, not this mumbo jumbo act of refined prince, which by the way, hard to break it to you honey but…ah no, the theatre is not for you," she confessed, snapping her fingers a couple of times. Her antics had a surprisingly calming effect on the Prince as a nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he started to smirk.

_She is a cat lady, a cat lady! Focus!_

"It was that bad, eh?" Blueblood answered, finally giving in and relaxed his posture. Trying his best to ignore an increasingly unsettled sensation he had and decided he was being paranoid, then placing his hoofs on the twins indicating to them that they should relax as well. They looked at him, confused but complied.

"There you go! Now we are getting somewhere," Nefertiti exclaimed in happiness while approaching him. The guards were clearly at a loss, not understanding what was happening or what they should do. "Also, yes, you still need a lot more practice, Bluey, mind if I call you Bluey? Our names are kind of long, so maybe shortening them could help, you can call me Nifi if you wish,"

"S-Sure, and I don't have a problem with Bluey. You are right; my name can be a bit of a mouthful," he agrees with a smile, silently thanking her for a chance to drop the honorific and talk regularly. "And thanks for letting me relax a bit, Nifi, you are right. Keeping up appearances can be particularly tiresome."

"So true, which is why I wanted to teach you my kind of lesson before that butler gave you a wrong impression about how the world of us princes and princesses operate. After all, bargaining chips need to stick together."

"Bargaining Chips?" The Prince looks at her, confused with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't know?" She asked, genuinely surprised before looking at him on pity before sighing with sadness. "Then I suppose this is a good time as any to rip off the band-aid, Bluey, The title of prince, especially the one that is granted because of a blood relation to the real rulers, has a darker and less glamorous side of the job description," she explained, while keeping her head low. "You see as their direct descendants, those that rule a kingdom have involved us in their eternal game of power. That becomes evident each time a favor is needed, or an alliance is offered," she elaborated much to the surprise of Blueblood as he suddenly remembered the words of his aunts in the restaurant, slowly starting to piece together the implications she was saying.

"The marriage proposal deal," he says in realization, before getting angry. "My aunts would never do that, they told me themselves! Equestria would freeze before they would hand me over to any ruler!"

"So they at the very least explained your marriage deals then?" She asked with a calm smile, not fazed by his outburst.

"The very least?" Blueblood asked, not expecting that response from her.

"You think a union is the only play on their game?" She asks surprise. "Bluey, like I told you, in the game of power, a direct descendant is the perfect bargaining chip for an alliance; throw out a union. But if the chip shows more potential, then it's worth rises…as well as its demands. Potential like, for example, solving an economic and crime crisis in an unthinkably short amount of time," she casually pointed out. "Yeah, that will do the trick to get the attention of various rulers, and by the way, bravo with that one. You truly turned heads with that performance," she complimented honestly followed with a slow clap

"Even if true, my aunts will. Not. Allow. It," the Prince pointedly stated.

"That is not going to stop others from trying," Nefertiti quickly responded, "Like my father, for example, who got interested in your exploits in Manehattan."

"So, that is why you're here then?" The Prince asked with a disappointed tone as she nodded.

"If so, then why are you telling me all of this…assuming that I believe you. After all, you are one heck of an actress,"

"Awww stop it, Bluey, you are going to make blush," she said suddenly, getting embarrassed and looking away, as Blueblood continued.

"Which means you are particularly good at lying and faking emotions."

That stopped Nefertiti as she slowly turns to look at him. "Hurtful…yet not without merit," she admitted with a nod before smiling slightly. "It seems like you have indeed gotten wiser. True, there is no reason for you to believe me, and I, as the great actress that I am, could make a convincing act of being a duck with a dragon tail if I so desired. So I believe that some proof could be in order."

She then starts to unzip the lower part of her dress, surprising the Prince and guards who quickly covered his eyes with their wings. "Nifi…what are you doing?" The Prince asked, pulling the wings down slowly as he notices how the princess's dress hid a pair of black shorts as well as jogging shoes. The bit of cloth she removed was repurposed as an improvised cape that she re-zipped over her shoulders.

"Changing for the occasion; we are going to need a bit of stealth for me to show you exactly what I'm talking about. Now, let's go, by now, the argument over you should be starting knowing my father."

"And how do I know this is not what you want? " The Prince asks, wary of her.

To this, she only gestured all around. "In your home? Surrounded by your guards? Without a way for me to escape or hide if I tried something? What could I possibly do?"

The Prince thought about it but ultimately decided to follow much to the displeasure of his guards.

"Your highness, are you sure?" Garra asked in concern as he nodded.

"My guards have lighting speed and quick reactions, Nefertiti, don't forget that either. Try something, and you will be on the ground before knowing what happened; I will be watching you," the Prince warned her as she nodded in understanding.

"More than fair; I just have one request."

"Which is?"

"Please keep your eyes above the neck," she made a joke before winking. "Just kidding, now let's go and see how our parents and relatives are faring," she proclaimed in excitement while heading back into the castle.

_She is a cat lady! This shouldn't be affecting me. What is going on!?_

The Prince only blinked before looking at the guards. "Stay close and keep an eye on her," He instructed before following Nefertiti inside after the twins acknowledged his orders.

A short time later, both royals managed to find the meeting room where his family was talking alongside other rulers and eavesdropped on their conversation. Celestia had wisely had sent request letters asking for a group audience simultaneously. A meeting that Atticus probably had been a part of hadn't he arrived in Canterlot unannounced, and just as Nefertiti, told him the discussion they were having quickly went into a negotiation involving Blueblood.

"And now that we took care of the returning of stolen goods and the transport of criminals let us pass to the next issue on the agenda," Celestia announced, with the other kings and queens silhouettes showing on different golden caldrons and the royal cats.

"Ah yes, the subject of your nephew and his recent exploits," Atticus commented with a confident smile. "I believed that from helping so many of us dealing with these particularly dangerous criminals, some form of reward is needed. As an expression of gratitude for his help."

"Indeed, but before any of that is discussed, I would like to begin this conversation by stopping any and all attempts you may be thinking of for an arranged marriage involving him," Celestia quickly proclaimed with severity, earning a smile from Blueblood as he looked at Nefertiti "See?"

"Keep listening; this is where the game starts," she whispered back to him as they kept listening to the conversation.

"A rather bold statement Princess," a minotaur figure responded, "Ignoring the slight insult of you denying us the option of even negotiating on the prospect. Rejecting such offer deprives all of so much we could achieve together, the bonds of friendship we can strengthen, the possibilities of combining our forces, that…"

"Not. For. Debate," Celestia replied before he could continue.

"Better let it go, King Bulkups," Another female figure responded, this one appeared to be some horse siren. "Princess Celestia has made up her mind, so we should be respectful of her decision."

"Thank you, Queen Novo," Celestia responded to her friend with a smile.

"That being said, Bulkups still raises a point that needs discussion," Atticus the Second voiced his opinion. "Princess Celestia, you can deny us that option, but the truth of the matter is that Equestria has been gathering various sources of particularly powerful magic that comes in various forms. The idea of one country controlling day and night is scary enough, but in the last couple of years, you have managed to retrieve six ancient elements believed to be lost, gained the favor of the literal incarnation of chaos, and claimed control over a lost civilization that has recently developed a new form of magic, all this coupled with the recent creation of a new and skilled princess with a budding potential in both leadership…and possible warfare. It leads to questions."

"The Crystal Empire is not under princess Celestia's control! I can assure you; we are an independent nation just like the rest of you." This time Blueblood managed to distinguish and hear the voice of his cousin, Princess Cadence. "Twilight has been raised and trained to be a fair ruler and would never try to conquer other nations, or even attack them unless provoked. The elements protect more than just Equestria and, if needed, will come to your aid, and as for Discord, he is a free spirit that can do what he pleases; he is no way under our jurisdiction," she starts to list.

"True, but Blueblood is, am I wrong?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Prince Atticus, is there a point to this?" Celestia asked.

"As Princess Cadence just listed, Discord, the Crystal Empire, and The Elements all of them are independent individuals or kingdoms that already serve the greater good on a global scale, and in the case of the elements simply serve under the rule of Equestria when not on missions of friendship as they have been called, but your nephew on the other paw? He still has binding obligations as a prince of Canterlot, doesn't he?"

"Binding obligations?" Blueblood whispered in confusion.

"Told you, bargaining chips," Nefertiti whispered back while pointing at both her and him. In that instant, the Prince started to remember his meeting with Despero and how so far, he subconsciously been doing the same thing he did while human. But now, to his horror, he was starting to see Celestia doing the same his father did. Treating him like a pet project or in this case, a political advantage/ offer.

_No, NO! S-She is not him; she is not!"_ The Prince shakes his head before continuing to listen.

"My son raises a good point Princess Celestia, and since tragically, you have closed your heart on the beauty that would have been such spectacular wedding, much to mine and Princess Cadence's clear grief."

"Wait, that I'm what now?" Cadence look at Atticus, confused, but he merely continued unfazed.

"I propose one, although not as beautiful alternative," he dramatically exclaims much to the confusion of Blueblood as he slowly turns to Nefertiti, who shakes her head.

"Don't ask," She quickly answers.

"To ease any tensions his actions might have caused, and as a symbol of friendship between nations, I propose that Blueblood becomes an economic adviser for all of us," Atticus offered much to the horror of Blueblood.

_I rather die before going diving into that world! _He resolved in both anger and disgust.

"Imagine my fellow rulers, the wisdom that this pony has demonstrated quite easily surpassed any expectations we might have had. It took him one month to save a series of dying franchises and made them bloom into economic powerhouses without any effort. What do you think he could achieve with a whole functional kingdom? With his advice, it is quite possible that not only we, but all of our subjects could eat and prosper like kings for years to come!"

"No..." the Prince whispered as he slowly started to back away from the door.

"Atticus raises a good option," Bulkups pointed out. "And he knows how to fight too, I would love to have him as a guest!" he finishes in excitement.

"Any family member of Celestia's family is welcome here too," Novo adds as well.

"So, we are on an agreement here then?" Atticus asked the princess with a smirk who looked at the gathered rulers and sighed.

"Very well," the voice of Princess Celestia shook the Prince to the core as she spoke, while in his eyes, the silhouette of his father formed beside her. "We'll begin the discussion of his services."

"No. " the Prince shook his head and turned around, escaping the room, not believing his ears.

"H-hey! wait up!" Nefertiti gave chase, confused about what happened to him, but both were too far gone to hear the rest of the meeting.

"I will open the idea of my nephew visiting your lands as a show of good faith, as a TEMPORARY arrangement, with the function of a minor advisor, but the decision of consulting or not will fall ultimately with him," she said with all due seriousness. "And we will respect his wishes regardless of the answer, are we clear?"

"But of course, Princess, and as rulers, you have our word that we will be the best of hosts while on his visit," Atticus says solemnly, placing a hand over his chest.

While all of that happened, Nefertiti managed to finally catch up to the guards who were restraining Blueblood while he continued to shake like a leaf. "I'm not going back to that world; I will not! There is only greed and traitors in there," the Prince exclaimed, not talking to anyone in particular.

"Your highness, control yourself, relax!" Garra tried her best, but the Prince still didn't respond as he kept shaking his head as if trying to wake up from a bad dream.

"Oh boy, I didn't imagine it will hit him, this hard. It's ok, though. I know what to do." Nefertiti said quietly to the guards as she approached, only to Daga to stop and raise her wings in front of her. "I think you've done enough already! 'Your highness-'"

"You want me to turn tail and leave him like this?" She replied indignantly, pointing to Blueblood.

"You mean the condition YOU put him into in the first place?"

"Look! He is hyperventilating, and if I don't know this…oh boy, I don't have time for this, guards! Open the way!" she yells at the air, and seconds later, two cats dressed as ninjas fell on top of the twins and after a brief scuffle, moved them out of the way so the princess could reach the Prince.

"Get away from him you little…!" Daga tried to throw one of her knives. Still, the ninjas blocked their way. The two guards watched to see how she only grabbed the Prince by the head and, to the surprise of everyone, pressed his face against her chest hard, pulling him into a tight embrace where he almost immediately yelled as hard and loud as he could.

They were shocked by the action, and even more so by how it seemed to have worked as moments later, the Prince started to calm down enough to breath and let go of Nefertiti while holding his chest.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah…yeah, I think so…how…how did you know that would work?" Blueblood asked, genuinely surprised and confused by her actions.

"I told you, we bargaining chips need to stick together," she informs him with a sad smile. "I have been in your shoes before, so I know when somepony needs to scream. Usually, a pillow would work, but this seemed like an emergency, so like any good actress, I improvised a little."

"Thanks," Blueblood commented, keeping his head down as Nefertiti ninjas released his own so all four could approach. "You were right Nifi, we are pieces to them, even my aunts will use me in some capacity to avoid tensions with other rulers," he said while keeping his head as low as possible, his heart felt like it was in complete tatters, flooded with sadness and anger, he was no longer sure about what to believe or if he could genuinely trust his aunt after that.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean we can't turn the situation around in our favor," Nefertiti suggests, slowly lifting his head.

"Turning it around? Is there a way to do that?" the Prince asked, surprised by her offer as she smiles and nods.

"Would you like to learn how?" she asks him with a playful smirk.

The Prince took one glance toward the door where the meeting was still taking place before hardening his gaze, then looking back at Nefertiti before nodding once.


	59. Nifi Offer

**Nifi Offer**

After an agreement was reached, the meeting between royals concluded. Each ruler took their leave without much else being said. There was, of course, a series of respectful goodbyes and general relief of seeing Celestia in a good mood once more, until eventually only the King and Prince Atticus remained with the Princess.

"And yet another gathering between rulers comes to a close. Princess Celestia, we must organize additional get-togethers more often, if possible, with better circumstances to talk." King Atticus said, giving the Princess an exaggerated bow. Celestia knew that all he was doing was buttering her up for future favors, but she didn't voice her thoughts and instead played along.

"I share your sentiment, King Atticus, it's a real shame such wishes might be a distant dreams thanks to our positions and duties," she edged closer to him, "Especially when unannounced guests put a halt on said jobs."

"Nonsense! We are the rulers of our kingdoms, are we not? I say that if I wish to spend time between friends and fellow rulers, we should be granted that luxury. Besides, that is a benefit of knowing how to delegate, am I wrong?"

"Oh, if only the stars could hear you," Celestia replied, mentally rolling her eyes as she used their magic to open the doors.

"Regardless of your sudden arrival, I appreciated your visit King and Prince Atticus. Let us hope that next time I can repay the surprise," Celestia tells them with a practiced smile as they approach.

"But of course, the doors of our kingdom shall forever be open for you, Princess, and once my sweet daughter returns, we will stop taking up more of your valued time."

That last sentence caught Celestia off guard as she quickly turned to the king. "Nefertiti is here?"

"Oh? Did I forget to mention that my sweet and beautiful daughter may have arrived after us? My mistake," the king replied, faking surprise as Celestia's blood froze a little when recalling her multiple encounters with the dubious cat growing up.

Like her father, she had a particular flair for the dramatic, but unlike him, she seemed to have a degree of self-awareness of her actions and took joy in "performing" all the time. This made her hard to read and know her true intentions, even for the royal sisters. Which in turns made her into one particularly dangerous Princess to be around Blueblood.

"Of course we didn't mean any harm or offense by no telling you Celestia. We weren't lying or hiding her arrival; she just wanted to explore the city for a bit before joining us in the castle, and there were more pressing matters to attend to. I hope you understand," Atticus informed as he explained why he never mentioned Nefertiti, or why or when she would arrive.

"Not at all, although I would have preferred to have been informed of the arrival of your daughter. There are indeed some areas open to the public within the palace and can't blame her for wishing to visit the garden," Celestia replied with a practiced smile. Yet, she felt a small seed of nervous energy sprout as the idea of Blueblood near that cat dawned upon her.

And indeed just like Atticus said, Flicker approached her soon after they exited the room to inform of the arrival of Nefertiti while the meeting was in session and how she managed to not only to find out where Blueblood was at the moment, but how he was entertaining her while Celestia was busy. How she even found out where Blueblood was in the first place was anyone's guess, but Celestia assumed she managed to trick some guards into telling her by using her skills on them.

And to make matters worse, when asked where they were at the current moment, one of her guards informed her that both prince and princess exited the castle not too long ago.

"Aw, so kind of your nephew, wishing to show the city to my daughter. Quite the gentlestallion, isn't he?" Atticus voiced his thoughts with a smirk.

"Indeed," Celestia copied his expression before slowly turning around to look at him and fake wonder. "Buuuuut, the fact that they outside makes me wonder about a tiny little issue."

"Oh? And what issue would that be? Come on, Celestia, kids will be kids, let them have fun," Atticus argued back while keeping his smile. "Do you want to be _that_ kind of aunt?"

"Of course not, but at times one needs to put their hoof or feet down for the ones you love." She quickly replied, growing more and more concerned. "Look me in the eye and tell that I'm wrong, Atticus, not as a ruler but as a parent." She demanded in all seriousness, starting to make the king nervous as he lightly chuckled.

"Je wha…what are you doing?" He asked, confused about her demeanor.

"Look me in the eyes, and remember the very first time you held your daughter in your arms and tell me that you don't mind that she and my nephew are running around. Heavens know were, with minimum security. Where they could be kidnapped easily and then be exchanged for literally a king's ransom? Tell me you are not worried in the slightest, and I'll stop right here."

"Ah..." The king was at a loss of words as Celestia's explanation seemed to have awakened his paternal instinct all of a sudden, like flipping a switch that he didn't know he had.

"Your precious and delicate daughter, alone and scared in some dark cellar, maybe hurt and heavens forbid, bleeding. Her captors looking at her like a piece of meat, arguing about how much to ask for her safe return, maybe even not keeping their word." she kept pressing as their foreheads were nearly touching together. Celestia was careful with her horn; To others, it would seem like she was getting into his head, and even though that was true, She meant what she said. Every word she was saying applied to her as well. Their parental emotions were overriding everything else until Atticus's smile dropped so it could be replaced with one of shock. "We need to bring them back!" he yelled in a complete panic breaking eye contact.

"You think?" she asked sarcastically as they started to issue orders left and right to bring them back as soon as possible using the tracking spell that Luna placed on Blueblood.

"Erm, guys? Isn't Blueblood a skilled fighter? And Nifi's bodyguards are experts on the art of escape. Guys?" the Princes questions fell on deaf ears as the parent's kept ordering everyone around to bring them back, Celestia even going so far as not wanting to waste more time and giving the green light to the 'teleport when found,' protocol — leaving him dumbfounded on how his father freaked out.

_What just happened?_

Half an hour earlier on a local public park

"Here you go, sir, four hay dogs with everything," a hot dog vendor floated four hay dogs to Blueblood while he levitated the bits for all of them and took them with his magic.

_Goodbye to balanced food days, then. At least I still have this going for me._ Blueblood thought, trying to calm down a little from the night's previous events, before thanking the vendor and returning to his companions, who were waiting on a nearby bench with some beverages. All of them were wearing hoods over their heads to avoid recognition.

"Sir, by the stars at the very least, let me take care of that," Garra tried to grab some of the hay dogs only for the prince to pull them away.

"I got this," Blueblood responded coldly, his magic short-circuiting for a moment, forcing him to hold his head, scaring the guards "Sir!" They approached, but Blueblood raised his hoof

"I'm ok, just had…a little headache, probably because I did the spell wrong for a second, take the hot dogs, please?"

Garra took the food away from him but insisted on coming closer, "Are you sure, perhaps we should return to…"

"I said, I'm fine!" Blueblood snapped, his eyes briefly turning red before going back to normal "I'm sorry Garra, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just processing a lot right now, so please, just please let it go."

"But sir..."

"Please!" Blueblood repeated, glaring at her. "Just let me calm down," he said almost as if he was growling, Garra was still unsure of what happened but decided to relent and nodded, keeping quiet and staying behind while taking the treats with one of her wings.

"I still don't understand why couldn't we stay in the castle," Daga complained as she took occasional glances over her shoulder. "I don't like being here; we are way too exposed."

"Oh come on, dear, there's no need to be overly dramatic," Nefertiti answered, making the guard looks at her in shock.

"I'm overly dramatic?"

"I just told you, didn't I? If Bluey and I are meaning to talk, we are going to need a certain degree of privacy from nosey maids or eavesdropping guards; mainly to avoid interruptions or objections."

"Hey!" Daga voiced her anger toward that comment.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that your guards don't gossip about what happens behind the walls of the castle."

She tried to argue but ultimately couldn't do anything and lapsed back into silence.

"That is what I thought," she said before taking a bite of her treat. "Besides, after such a huge revelation, some fresh air is just what you needed, right, Bluey?" Nefertiti asked, looking at Blueblood while he remained quiet, staring at his food with a sad face.

_Did I rush into things? She sounded just like my dad, but I did run off pretty quickly, _His expression turned from seriousness to sadness. _Did I do the right thing? All of this seems wrong. But at the same time…familiar somehow, like I'm forgetting something important, but what? Augh! What I'm doing? Why is it so hard to think?_ He internally monologues, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Right, still shaken by the news, got it."

There was no reply from him as he just kept his head low and closed his eyes while trying in vain to clear his mind, making Nefertiti sigh and shake her head.

"Listen, I know it hurts, and it's not fair for me to be telling you this, but the sooner you accept reality, the sooner I can help, and trust me, stewing in your emotions make things worse. Yeah, we are just pawns in their game, but as I said, there is a way to turn that fact in our favor, and the trick starts by accepting our roles."

"Our roles?" Blueblood finally spoke up as he slowly looked at her. "You think that is as easy as that?! Just put on a happy face and accept that at any point, we can be exchanged for a favor?! My aunt betrayed me! She looked me in the eyes and told me that she wouldn't use me for this, and then she…she used a technicality to place me up as an option! I…" he yelled at her before looking back to the ground, holding back tears.

"I can't believe she would actually do this to me, I don't even know if she really did, maybe running away was a mistake," he finished, not looking at anyone and clearly still affected by the events that happened earlier, his guards took occasional worried glances at one another with how he was behaving.

"Ok, I will give you that, at the very least she had the decency of taking the possibility of arranged marriage away!" Nefertiti commented as she started to get legitimately angry from memory. "Do you have _any_ idea of what it feels to be treated like some trophy? To be dismissed and be expected to 'look pretty and play the part of the perfect princess'…to discover your family thinks of you as some project instead of as a living being?" she whispered the last part, her ears folded down to rest on top of her head in depression as she eats. The feline didn't realize how that previous sentence managed to strike a chord with the prince.

"I'm more than a pretty face, you know? I have dreams of goals. I love my kingdom just as much my brother does, and I would do anything to make it flourish and be greater than the last generation of my family! At the very least, you still have a voice, and you had the option of getting out and exploring your city whenever you like. Most of my life was spent inside the castle doing nothing but learning posture and ridiculous manners and costumes! Do you have any idea of how that feels?"

"I do, actually," Blueblood replied with a sigh, catching the Princess by surprise. "Growing up my aunt didn't let me out much, she told me that it was for my protection," he took a bite of his hot dog only for his head to go green and spit the piece out in disgust.

_What the hell? I know that I have eaten hay alternative foods before, so why all of a sudden…_ The prince briefly remembered the words of Dr. Caliber and got scared when he felt his face heating up for a brief moment. _Oh boy, that is not a good sign!_

"You too, eh?" Nefertiti asked while turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow as Blueblood quickly discarded his food and nods. "We are like birds on a cage, begging to fly, am I right?" Nefertiti half-joked, trying to ease the situation a little as Blueblood nodded once more.

"So, how did you escape that destiny? From what you have told me, this isn't the first time they used you for this."

Nefertiti smiled again and leaned back. "Not going to sugar-coat it Bluey, it was hard, but after discovering that my first 'fiance' was precisely in the same boat that I was, we agreed on not wanting to give up even more of our freedom. So we figured out a smart way to avoid being used."

"How?" Blueblood asked, intrigued by this revelation.

"Three words, sweetheart; pretend and counteroffer," she exclaimed in pride while lifting her extended paw in front of him. "Like I did when we met, play the part of a prestigious and proper princess, and then once they are gone drop the act and go about our real business."

"So, that is why your personality changed so fast after Flicker was gone." Blueblood nodded as he slowly figured out what was happening. Nifi was talking like one of his associates on earth.

"Couldn't let that stifler go tell your aunt or my father what we were truly doing, am I right?" she said with a wink. "If they want to use us, then we only need to use them first. By relying on each other, we can figure out how to use our position to our advantage and build a counteroffer to whatever they want us to tie the knot for."

"But we don't have any power over them; any offer we make could be simply ignored." He points out in anger

"Not if we trick them into believing that it was their idea in the first place," she replied with a smirk. "A slip of paper here, a whisper there, if necessary a rumor of betrayal, something to build some tension and then, wedding off and crisis averted."

"Like a puppet master, they think they are pulling our strings when in reality it will be the other way around" Blueblood commented, intrigued by that revelation

"Sir, you can't be serious!" Garra snapped his train of thought as he looked at her in alarm. "What you are suggesting is nefarious and dirty," she tried to plead to his heart, trying to reconsider.

"And will that be any different than what they were doing just now, dear?" Nefertiti countered feeding in more to the flames of anger in the prince before patting his shoulder. "I know this looks bad, but unfortunately, this tactic is the only card we can play. We can either surrender our freedom or make them play our own game. And from what I heard, you don't seem like the surrendering type, right?"

"Of course not," He stated flatly while glaring at the air

"Then, let show them that we can play dirty just as much if not better than they can."

"You would be betraying their trust, your highness!" Garra insisted, trying for Blueblood to see reason.

"You will be fighting for your freedom!" Nefertiti kept talking.

"Please, sir, I understand that you are angry, but don't let that cloud your judgment," Daga pleaded as well.

"Oh, would you give it a rest! What could you two possibly know about us? Do you think this is easy? Do you think we take pleasure in having to fight to have a voice? This what being a royal means," Nefertiti snapped back at the royal guards before looking at Blueblood "Right Bluey?"

The prince remained quiet, replaying everything that had happened over the day ever since he met Nifi; a part of him was still wary of Celestia. He saw merit in what Nefertiti was offering, but the words of Garra and Daga managed to not only clear his mind but also highlighted Nefertiti's hidden intentions. It was the classic trick of fostering distrust between him and his "superior" that was step one. Step two was to then implant the idea of a partnership to archived a common goal, usually involving an act of revenge or even a powerplay. He was more than familiar with that move; it was virtually one of the first ones he mastered. The fact that he was on the other end of the situation was both a form of poetic justice and a repulsive return of his last life.

_And I almost fell for it like a freaking chump!_ Blueblood scolded himself from falling for her trap so quickly, though credit where credit was due, he had to praise her acting skill in how well she managed to fool him although he wasn't entirely sure how she achieved it that fast. _You little backstabbing minx! I got you now, and I'm not going to make the same mistake twice._ Blueblood internally glared at Nefertiti while maintaining his expression of surprise and fear.

_So, you want to dance with the wolf, kitty? Bring it! _

He was about to give her his answer when suddenly, a squad of royal guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere and quickly approached the prince despite his disguise. Much to his shock, while both of their guards took on a circle formation to defend the royals.

"Prince Blueblood, there you are!" one unicorn guard called out.

"What the…?" Blueblood could only say before his entire group is lifted in the air by the magic of various unicorns.

"Stay still your highnesses, Princess Celestia and King Atticus have been worried sick since your disappearance. We received orders to return you to the castle immediately, so please don't struggle while we teleport you back."

"Teleport? Wait! Don't…!" Before he could complain, they all disappeared in a flash of light.

Meanwhile at the school of friendship.

Taking advantage of the end of the lesson and using the labs in the school, Twilight decided to pull an all-nighter, returning to the problem that she hadn't been able to solve even with the help of Shining Armor. There was progress to be sure, but the speed of things was pretty slow, and the commotion of Blueblood's self-exile and Celestia's martial law put a screeching halt to their progress.

The frustration of having to stop in solving the problem when they had been so close to an answer was irritating, to say the least, so to ease her mind a little and fearing that soon another thing would stop her once again, Twilight decided to speed things up and started testing reactions of the infamous sedative rocks against other elements. First was with the periodic table, and when that turned into a dead-end, she decided to apply another approach.

The advances she made with her brother determined that the rock was half of the formula, and its only function was to keep the victim asleep, so she concluded that the real killer was the other unknown agent in the poison.

So having a theory, she didn't waste time in testing how the rock would react with different substances that were known to make a pony bleed or open its pores so much that it could make them sweat profusely. Her first attempts failed, and she concluded that whatever the lethal substance was, it wasn't a poison on its own and most likely was something that could be easily obtained. That was an implication that both fascinated and terrified her, mainly of how easy it would be to make such an efficient and silent weapon if that was the case.

Her efforts were about to lead her to yet another dead end until she arrived at the most unlikely of options; formulas and ointments reserved for athletes and royal guards. Having exhausted all other options, she decided to, at the very least, give them a try before calling a day. Diligently working on some chemicals and wearing safety goggles and a lab coat, Twilight stared at a beaker while inch by inch, she levitated a pipet with a blue liquid substance inside, placing it near said beaker which contained a sample of pulverized Dreamer Rock. Once a single drop landed on the dust, a constant white smoke emerged from the beaker, gaining the attention of Twilight as she levitated a recorder next to her.

"Mixing Test #25: Dreamer Rock with Leech Tears, the substances indeed react to one another. When in contact, they change into a gaseous form. More specifically, a consistent, dense type of fog or cloud with white coloration." Using a portable vacuum cleaner, Twilight caught much of the fog before sealing the beaker with a cork. "Now, moving to its reaction against a simulated living organism."

For this experiment, Twilight used one of Rarity's mannequins, hollowed out, and covered it on a gel that simulated muscle, a layer of enchanted paper to function as skin and a fluffy scarf that could be used as fur. Injecting some of her own blood into the dummy and using a spell to recreate a functional skin-level excretory system, Twilight exposed the dummy's hoof to the smoke and started a timer.

To her surprise, after the first-minute mark, the dummy started to sweat.

"Yes, YES! Please be it, please be it!" she started to smile and chant while collecting a sample that, to her joy, confirmed her theory. The smoke could indeed make a pony sweat blood.

"Finally! I got you!" She took her tape recorder once more while looking at the dummy, which continued to bleed like there was no tomorrow.

"My theory was correct; the murder weapon is a gas…" Her happiness suddenly stopped once she remembered the objective of the experiment and the grim reality behind it. "Prince Blue…my cousin was killed by toxic poison gas, created by mixing pulverized Dreamer Rock and the sports ointment known as Leech Tears," she finished the recording and put it away before looking back at the beaker.

_Now I know the what, and the when. But the question that remains is this; how did a pony sneak this into his room?_Twilight pondered this for a moment before grabbing a feather and parchment and started to write to the Princess and her brother of her discoveries.


	60. Daily Family Drama

**Daily Family Drama **

Prince Atticus never truly believed himself to be perfect, far from it. As the immediate heir to the throne, he, more than anyone, knew about the game of power. How to play it and how questionable decisions are needed and even expected when dealing with other rulers from far away. That is why he was on board with helping his sister perform her usual role as a 'friendly' princess to obtain future allies and perhaps even uncover one or two secrets to use in at a later time. No real harm was done and another friend to rely on in the dreadful case of a war with another nation, so just business as usual.

The events that were transpiring in front of him, however, didn't seem like the typical drama in the slightest. True to the rumors, The natural maternal instincts that Princess Celestia was known for had been on the rise for the last couple of months, and he had the intention of observing and, if given the opportunity, exploiting that mentality of hers. Yet any plan he might have been formulating died a swift death once he discovered that those same instincts seemed to be contagious. Judging by the sudden change in demeanor that overcame his father who, contrary to his ordinarily chilly disposition to his sister's exploits, had now become an overprotective, worried, and dare he say, doting, parent.

_Either Equestria's parental instincts are legitimately contagious to anyone with offspring, or Princess Celestia is the greatest mind manipulator in the world._ Atticus thought as he remained silent in his seat while his dad finished his little rant, ending on a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This was a mistake."

"Mistake?" Nefertiti asks in anger. "Daddy dearest, if you have just had bought me a little bit more time, Blueblood would be wrapped around my finger THIS very instant!" she yelled in anger. "What in Tartarus happened back there? I was this close to making him open up to me," she held her index and middle finger as close as possible without touching. "When you suddenly went mad with worry and instead of letting Ati and I finish the job in another room while you distracted the princess. You dragged us out of the castle the moment I reached the throne room. I barely even had the chance to say goodbye!" she whined in exasperation. "What the hell happened to the plan?"

"It was over the moment Celestia impressed upon me how dangerous it could be for you to be outside without your guards, young lady," Atticus responded immediately.

"You mean like the dozen guards we each have at all times hiding in the shadows to prevent exactly what you were worried about, dad? The ones that Celestia is well aware that we have, and you were supposed to remind her of them to buy Nifi the extra time she needed all along?" Prince Atticus asked rhetorically.

"Exactly! I…" The king needed a moment before he processes what just happened this early in the morning and how Celestia's words had got inside his head. "…That little alicorn tricked me!" he yelled in anger, finally realizing what happened before smiling. "Well played, Celly."

"Are you kidding me?!" Nefertiti facepalmed, not believing what she just heard. "You destroyed the plan just because you got played?!"

"Hey, game recognizes game, sweetheart, a king must not be a sore loser or underestimate his opponents, take note Atticus. It will be wise for you to remember that lesson."

"Don't worry, dad, I took mental notes of everything that has happened," his son responded.

"And besides, although it didn't end exactly as we would have liked, I wouldn't say that we failed, right Nifi?" The king asked her daughter with a raised eyebrow, who calmed down and relaxed, looking at her dad with a smile. "Yes, at the very least, I got into that pony's mind," she smirked and pulled two pictures from between her breasts, revealing a photo of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, respectively. "Just as our intel gathered; kindness and eccentricity, A curious combination to be sure, but nothing I can't handle. I didn't even need to pull off my kindness act all. The second he saw my eyes. I was playing him like a fiddle," she boasted with pride.

"And you figured out what type of mares Blueblood is attracted to just by studying each newspaper article he has been in recently? That is indeed one scary ability you have there sister," Prince Atticus commented, impressed by her investigation prowess.

"Please, brother, It is nothing unusual for an actress to rehearse and study for her roles! And if one knows where and how to look, the media can be an incredible tool to discover how others think. Blueblood wasn't exactly secretive with his intentions." Taking out an old newspaper from a compartment at the door, Nefertiti admired the front page that described the prince talking about the events that changed his personality so drastically. "Such a naive, innocent pony, thinking that you had us fooled with your story of a near-death experience. Even I almost fell for it…almost!" she chuckled a little before turning to her brother.

"After the announcement of the royal masquerade and then his self imposed exile, figuring out his personality was all too easy. After that, it only required some slight digging here and there, following the most prominent rumor and then…" Nefertiti pointed at the two ponies in the picture "…I did some light research to find my character, add a dusting off 'the charm'" She explained her eyes growing wide and for a moment as she invoked her ability for but a second. "And I was ready for my role"

"Ha! That is my girl, always planning!" the king commented in pride "And are you sure he does not suspect anything?"

"Him suspecting me? Ha! No male can escape my beauty once they see my eyes; that pony has no clue whatsoever. He was ready to reveal everything when his guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere," she recapped in frustration from being denied her objective when it was so close.

"And even if he starts to get suspicious later, it won't matter anymore. After what he heard, he will not speak with the princess for a long time; I guarantee that dad," she bosted, full of confidence.

"It hope so, honey," The king grabbed her right paw and lifted it in the air, "Otherwise we might have to return to our original agreement and put a ring on this finger, are we clear?" he warned, dropping any pleasantries and being completely serious, which in turn made Nifi gulp.

"Crystal"

"Good, and just so you know, in case that happens, I'm sure you would be one lovely bride. I would make sure the photographer takes plenty of pictures for our father-daughter dance."

"DAD! Snap out of it already!" The siblings yelled at him, having heard enough of his antics

Meanwhile back at the palace

Once the cats were gone, Celestia let go of a breath that she didn't know she was holding in exhaustion. "By the stars, I'm glad that drama is over, now..." She turns her attention to her nephew. "Might you explain what were you doing?"

"Only if you do the same, for early in the morning, first," Blueblood countered immediately.

"Excuse me?" Celestia looked at him in surprise before Blueblood sighed and looked at her in sadness.

"I heard part of what you said during the meeting with the other kings, auntie," He looked back at her with determination, "I just want to hear the full story before jumping to conclusions," He took a step closer, "Please tell me you didn't use me as some sort of pawn in a game board."

"Of course not! Wait, you spied on…!?" She collected herself and did some breathing exercises to calm herself. "Nefertiti's idea, I presume?"

Blueblood nodded. "I'm only telling you because not doing it would be playing into that cat's game. Part of her plan is to put some distrust between us, from the looks of things."

"Of course she would do that," Celestia just sighed in frustration before looking at him. "How much did you hear?"

"Long enough to hear Prince Atticus suggest that I help other nations with their economic problems like I did with Manehattan…and then I heard you agree to discuss that option," His eyes hardened in anger, "now I know that all of this was just a trick from Nefertiti to make me angry at you, so that is why I want to clear the air. I want to hear the rest, and I want to know if you would be willing to use me as a pawn or not."

"I would never do that!" Celestia yelled in anger as she approached him. "Blueblood, I'm hurt that you even considered that; I would never force you to do something against your will." She smiles and brings him into a hug. "You are my precious little nephew; sure, I did mention the _possibility _of your help, but what you didn't hear was that before we even consider that. We would make sure to ask you first and respect your decision, no matter what that might be. And IF you agree to do so, said help would come under your terms." She ended the hug and looked him in the eye. "Just like I said, we care about your opinion, sweetheart, and would never dismiss your voice."

Blueblood's gaze softened upon hearing that and chuckled. "God, I'm such a moron, Nifi was playing me like a fiddle, and I ALMOST fell for her trap. It was so obvious, and yet I didn't see her tricks."

"There is no need to punish yourself so much, dear, that lioness is a crafty little princess, You have managed to experience first hand what a master in the art of acting and manipulation can do. Even Luna and I have difficulty reading what she thinks at times, and her skill has only been improving with age," she commented with a smile "No pony would blame you for falling for her tricks," she reassured him

"No pony but me!" he said in irritation, confusing Celestia with his sudden outburst. "If you take away the dramatics and reverse the gender, she is me. The manipulation, the skill, the sweet words. She is basically what I…" he stopped himself, taking a glance at the twins who looked at him, both appeared confused and worried "…what I used to be before the accident. I should have known better than that. For crying out loud, I was being deceived by someone who is my doppelgänger!"

He stomps the floor in frustration. "I can't believe that the very second I lowered my guard; this happens again. I have had enough of being treated like a fool! That cat just messed with the wrong pony," he promised as his anger just kept rising more and more.

_She treated us like fools…the kitty is just asking for it…let teach her how a wolf plays…let us make her squeal!_Strange thoughts keep appearing in Blueblood's mind as he started to feel his surroundings fade.

"Blueblood stop!" the stern voice of Celestia snapped him back to reality, and he shook his head, recovering his senses and looking at her as she glared at him. "I understand that you are angry, but what you are implying is revenge, plain and simple, and that is something I would not allow in this family." Her gaze softened as she lifted his chin. "Those kinds of thoughts have been the cause of so much pain already, and you know you are better than that. Please, sweetie, promise me that you will let go of your rage against Nefertiti. When the time comes, we will deal with her together as a family, but until then, you will let go of what happened today and will stay away from that cat."

"But…"

"Promise me!" She repeated sternly. "I'm not joking here, mister, for the sake of your family, yourself, and our kingdom, you will stay away. It's not worth it!"

_She is also in our way…she is controlling us…she is on our way to freedom…she needs to g… _

Blueblood realized what was going on this time and, in fear, snapped himself out to reality, ignoring the voice and answering Celestia.

"Y-Yeah, you are right, it's not worth it. I-I will let it go." Blueblood promised, recovering his composure, much to the happiness of Celestia.

"Thank you for listening to reason, sweetie."

"Not a problem, I mean you are right she is good, and I must applaud her skill, that performance of hers was incredible. She fooled me there for a second. But what bothers me is that there is still one thing I don't get it..."

"What is it, dear?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Once I figured out her tricks, everything fell into place pretty quickly, and it was rather obvious what she was trying to accomplish. And yet, I couldn't piece anything together until Daga and Garra put things into perspective. Before that, I was unable to think clearly; why did it take me so long to regain my senses?" he questioned himself, not understanding fully the events that occurred.

"Sir?" Daga interrupted his train of thought while raising her right hoof. "If I'm allowed to be so bold, perhaps I could shed a reason for your behavior."

"Really? Well, sure, go ahead, what do you have in mind."

"Well, sir. As smart, witty, and wise as you have become in recent months…you are still a stallion," Celestia's ears perked up the second she heard that. She turned to regard Blueblood with worry.

"And what does that have to do with…?" his eyes wide in realization. "No."

"It's ok sir. There is nothing wrong with having those kinds of feelings. Princess Nefertiti is quite the looker," Garra commented, "And my sister's right sir: Sudden stutters, inability to think, chronic glances at her, an increase of heart rate. It checks out."

"No, I mean that is not…how did you knew my heart rate was accelerating?" Blueblood asked with a raised eyebrow to which she only pointed at her ears.

"Improved hearing, sir, if we are too close to a pony, we can hear their heart rate when it accelerates and well …your's were doing that, especially when she pressed your face into her chest."

"She did what now?" Celestia asked in flat surprise and anger at the princess's boldness.

"No, I mean, I get what you are saying and understand your point, but that is not what it happened. I know what feels attraction is. I have experienced it before."

_With disastrous consequences, in each and every one of them, thank you very much, _dad_…although she does look a lot like a human lady, and that fur looks so soft, it makes me want to pet it and… what am I thinking! She is a cat lady for crying out loud, basically an alien!_

"And I'm telling you, I don't find Nefertiti attractive," Blueblood tried to defend himself. "Whatever happened with her might look like that, but it's not that."

"You shouldn't dismiss the possibility so fast, sir," Daga continued. "The heart can work in mysterious ways, at times in a way that we don't even realize at first glance. You can trust us. Plus princess Nefertiti is a master in manipulating others, how can we be sure she didn't try to perform a very complex and subtle form of seduction that made you pay attention to her yellow eyes?"

"Uh Daga, her eyes are a vivid emerald," Blueblood corrected her, earning a smirk from both twins. "What?! I can catch details too."

"Aye."

"Look, I'm not a 14-year-old teenager, nor a pervert, I do not just get stupid each time I see a pretty face. And ok, I admit it, she is attractive…and I _might _have taken one or two glances at her. I'm not made of stone, but whatever happened to me, it was a completely different thing altogether."

"Fair enough, if that is your belief, then we will respect your opinion," Celestia spoke up. "But as your aunt and a princess, I must say to please do not close your mind to that option." She approached with a sympathetic smile. "Your cousin Cadence would feel terrible if she heard you rejected such beautiful things like love and attraction. Even toward someone undeserving. A good prince is the one willing to listen, not only to the advice of others…" She placed her hoof over his chest, "…but also to his heart, so please be open to the possibility, at the very least as an option. No one would think any less of you for having those thoughts, so don't be ashamed of them."

He sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes. "Fine, auntie, for you, I will keep it in mind as an option." He smiled while grabbing her hoof.

"That is all I ask, take it from one with experience, bottling up your emotions only serves to hurt you and your loved ones." She took her hoof back, "Now, go clean up and wait for us in the dining hall. It's almost time to lower the sun, and there is much to discuss from this experience. I'm sure Luna would like to hear of your very first encounter with royalty outside Equestria."

"Ha, I just wish it wasn't a total disaster," Blueblood looked to the side with some shame.

"I wouldn't say it was a complete disaster. True you could have handled the situation better, but love can easily cloud our judgment," she teased him a little.

"Aunty!"

Celestia ignored his outburst and just continued. "Plus, you encountered a particularly dangerous dignitary, so success was almost impossible from the start, and yet, despite that, you managed to figure out what was happening and made the right decision of talking with me before something bad could occur. I'm proud of you, Blueblood; you did the mature thing tonight," she praised him with a smile.

"Thanks," Blueblood smiled and started to leave the room with his guards, "Oh, Daga and Garra!" Celestia called them out as they were about to leave. The twins turned around to see what the princess wanted to say.

"Thank you for being there when my nephew needed you the most."

"We were only doing our job your highness, we live to serve the crown," Garra responded as they both bowed to her. the princess nodded and then left to lower the sun.

"Heh, looks like you two just got on my auntie's good side," Blueblood commented with a chuckle, "I knew she would eventually warm up to you two."

"Like there was any doubt, we are just that awesome," Garra boasted. "We are killing it as this bodyguard gig."

"Just let us know if you wish to make this as a permanent job; it would be our honor to keep you in check, your highness," Daga mentions with a smile. "Speaking of which, how are you feeling right now?"

"What do you mean?" He queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Your heartbeat, it accelerated again back there."

"Oh, that was probably from all the teasing," Blueblood dismissed her worries. "I'm ok now, really, but thanks for the concern, your sister is right. You are doing a fine job so far. But for now, go home and rest well, you two; you earned it."

"Thank you, your highness. You too" The twins bowed to him before leaving as the sun descended, their signal their shift officially ended.

Once gone, the prince went straight to his room, pausing only when he was forced to lean against the wall from exhaustion while holding his head in pain with a horn that discharged some bolts on the tip.

_'You can't ignore it, Blueblood. People like Nifi will stop at nothing to get what they want. If we let them be, they will take away what we love. We worked so hard to get this second chance. Celestia would never understand; she's too soft; what does she know about being a wolf?_

"Just let it go, Blueblood, don't listen. Those are just toxic thoughts from my past. Just stupid ideas of revenge," He mumbles to himself, trying to ignore the voice until it eventually faded away. Looking around, he discovered that he somehow made a wrong turn and ended up near the royal library, where his thought process started to move again.

_It never hurts to be prepared, the Abyssinian's most likely have a history. Maybe I can even learn more about those arranged marriages…__see the history of their royal family. _Find out how their economy wo…_ooorks! No! You promised you promised! One wrong move and I could start a war!_

Once gone, he shook his head and kept walking, unaware of how the stone wall he had been leaning on was now sizzling hot from the heat of his body temperature.

At the same time on the royal infirmary

Putting away his equipment, Dr. Caliber was preparing to end his shift and go home when one of the blood samples he placed in a small freezer started to shake, getting his attention and then his concern when he noticed the label on said sample saying 'Blueblood.'

"Hmmm? What in Celestia's name?" Confused, the doctor took the sample and placed a drop of it on a glass slide to examine on a microscope. Once adjusted, he was shocked when he observed the blood cells contained within changed color from red to a vivid blue, and when looking at the rest of the sample in the vial saw the same thing happening to it. Not only that but when he tried to touch it, he had to remove his hoof immediately from the heat it was emanating.

"Oh, for the love of Celestia's mane, what now?! I tested you for everything, and you came up clean. What in Equestria are you doing now?" The doctor asked the sample as he pulled out a medicine book in search of some answers.

As Caliber kept flipping pages, Celestia received a letter from her student. Putting the final piece of a new chapter into play that the royal family will soon have to face. One that will test the unity among them, and either strengthen or break their bonds. But before that tale begins, another story, in a far and cold kingdom made of crystals, began to unravel.

**Author's Note:**

And yes everyone, Nifi 'Charm' is like Fluttershy 'Stare', they just have kind of the opposite effect.


	61. The A,B,C's Of Emotions

**The A,B,C's Of Emotions **

"Love. Hope. Empathy. Courage. These are the four pillars that have protected the Crystal Empire from the forces of evil, from Grogar to Sombra." Cadence said, dramatically demonstrating each emotion to her class by shining her body in different colors as she listed them, starting with pink, then blue, then indigo and ending with green.

"For millennia, we attributed this power to our beloved crystal heart as the protector of our kingdom since the very first princess took the crown. Though nowadays, we know that as mighty and powerful as the heart is. It's true function is and has always been to serve as an extension and focus for the latent power that we crystal ponies, can express. This is done by converting said emotions into energy and constructs limited only by our imagination. We can guide and even share these powers with others with the help of our crystals," she ended the sentence by tapping the golden necklace she was currently wearing. Its base showed a heart divided into four pieces, each one having the corresponding color of the emotions the Princess just listed.

All of Cadences students were also wearing copies of the same necklace, and among the students was Stellar, and Amber, who were silently taking notes of everything being said with the professionalism only a royal guard could hope to have.

"But contrary to what you might be thinking right now, the act of converting your emotions into energy requires more than being in touch with them all of the time. Just like a river in the middle of a forest will be tainted by leaves, branches, insects, and other objects, in our natural state, our emotions too are tainted, in constant turmoil, and often, violent movement. We can even express multiple emotions simultaneously, and if you try to convert them in their raw state, it would result in just a couple of sparks at best," she continued, going into her teacher mode. "The first thing to learn when manifesting your emotions is to clear your mind and reach into your heart to control yourself and aim for just the emotion you wish to express."

One of her current students, a stallion with white fur, raised his hoof, hoping to ask a question. He, like the royal guards, wished to understand more about the emotional spectrum for his reasons.

"Yes, Mr. Sharp Shot?" Cadence inquired.

"Is there no way to project two emotions simultaneously? Like love and hope or courage and hope?" he asked, honestly earning the attention of everyone in the class who were intrigued by the answer as well. This also earned a chuckle from Cadence.

"Somepony is eager to practice the advanced spells I see," she said with a smirk. "Patience, Sharp Shot, we will come to that later on. But before we can begin with the lessons on dual emotions, you must first determine which of the four spectrums I listed is your primordial feeling," Cadence explained as best as she could before revealing a large crystal ball on her desk which was previously hidden underneath a velvet cover. "This crystal ball was made with some shards from the first crystal heart of the kingdom, and because of that, it has properties that can show what kind of feeling rules over one pony. Are you someone courageous? Maybe hopeful? Perhaps a pony full of empathy? Or maybe…" She placed her hoof on top of the crystal and in seconds, it started to shine with blinding a pink light, forcing the students to shield their eyes from the intensity "…your heart has lots of love to give," when she removed her hoof the light died down, and everyone could look at her again.

"As I just demonstrated, I want all of you to place your hoof on top of the crystal while I take notes on the color it shines. Depending on the result, we will divide the class and start your lessons on meditation and focus appropriate with each one of them. So if you please, make an orderly line and step right up," Cadence said, levitating a parchment and feather and moving to the side so her students could approach and start to see which emotions are appropriate for them.

Doing as instructed, a line quickly formed, and the first pony, a crystal pony filly of no more than ten, soon approached the crystal. It started to shine a sickly green, which Cadence quickly wrote down "The green light of courage; yours is the will to overcome great fear and willing to stand your ground even if afraid," Cadence announced in happiness. "That is an emotion that speaks volumes of your bravery and tells that you would do anything to protect your beliefs and your friends."

"That's right, Princess!" the filly confirmed eagerly. "I will fight the bad guys, just like you did!" she hoof-pumps the air in determination-making Cadence chuckle at the adorable scene.

"I'm sure you will sweetie, but you must never forget not to lose focus and remember the difference between determination and foolishness, alright?"

"I promise, Princess."

"Ok, now since your emotion is green, your lessons will continue on the royal training grounds. Don't worry. We are not going to treat you like a soldier or anything like that. It's just that courage can be explained and learned more easily if you had plenty of space to work with," Cadence said before pointing at a corner. "For now, why don't you wait there for the rest of your future companions so you can all go there?"

"Ok, Princess," the filly obediently complied, and soon another crystal pony, a colt of twelve shyly approached the crystal.

"It ok little one, the crystal is not going to bite you, I promise," the Princess encouraged him, yet the colt simply averted his eyes before looking behind him.

"Do we need to show everypony what emotion we have, Princess?" he asked with some heat on his cheeks.

"Oh, sweetie, there is no shame in expressing yourself. Part of the objective of this school is giving you the strength to be proud of what you are, and the tools to create great things," she encouraged him while raising her wings before getting a bit closer to him to whisper. "But I also know that each of us expresses ourselves at our own time, would you like me to shield your results for now? You don't even need to go into a group right away, just follow your results as soon as everyone else is sorted. Will that be ok with you?"

The colt nodded, and soon, the Princess covered them with a transparent bubble that made them invisible for the rest, giving the horse the privacy he wanted as he touched the crystal. Immediately afterward, an intense indigo light shone from it. "The indigo light of empathy, yours is the emotion of concern for your friends and mercy to all," Cadence whispered to the colt, moved by the emotion. "It's an incredibly beautiful emotion, being capable of having compassion to give, and such a strong showing at that."

"Princess..." the colt was unable to make eye contact with her due to the embarrassment of the compliment.

"Oh, alright, I'll stop now, and as I promised, you don't need to form a group right away, just wait at your desk until another indigo light appears, then join them when you are ready. Your training ground will be the animal shelter."

"We're going to work with puppies!?" the colt asked, getting more excited, which earned a smile from Cadence.

"Indeed," her smile soon dropped. "Some pets there spend days, even weeks without anyone taking second glances at them, or are too aggressive to let anyone approach. Of course, we will never let you near the most aggressive ones right away, but the truth of the matter is that they deserve and need some compassion and affection, do you think you could do that for me, dear?"

The colt nodded, happier now. "You can count on me, princess," he placed his hoof on his chest before moving on. To the surprise of the Princess, instead of going to take a seat, he went into another corner before nodding at her.

_There you are, I knew you had it you_

After nodding as well, she passed to the next student, none other than Sharp Shot, who, after giving her a short bow, placed his hoof on the crystal, which immediately shined a bright pink, much to the surprise of Cadence. "Mr. Sharp Shot, you've been holding out on me, haven't you?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

In response, he only shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "What can I say, your highness? A pony must love what he does. And I'm a fanatic for the archery sport!"

"I can tell as much," Cadence nodded with a smile. "Love is an emotion that has so many different expressions and whose power is said to be that which can conquer all. Yours is an emotion of passion and full devotion to your heart. So much so that I advise caution when using it. It can easily blind you if not careful."

"Literally or metaphorically?" Sharp asked with a hint of concern.

"Metaphorically," Cadence confirmed with some heat on her checks. "Let's just say one time, while experimenting with the emotion, I ended up acting like a cat on catnip. Couldn't stop hugging everything I saw." She confessed with some embarrassment.

"Must have been a very awkward experience," Sharp commented at her tale as Cadence only nodded. "Oh, you can be sure of that, but don't worry, my husband, the incredibly resourceful stallion that he is. Manage to contain the situation like a professional, and clear the air almost immediately, so other than some apologies and explanation with our staff who was on duty that day, nothing bad happened. And it served as a lesson not to underestimate the power of love."

Cadence finished getting more even red on her cheeks. "Anyway, since your emotion is love, it could be reasoned that as the Princess of Love, I will look after your lessons," she points at herself. "We'll work first in the castle. But as we progress, we will be moving locations. And that goes for everyone. The determined location I tell you is a starting point, not a fixed one," she announced.

"And I will eagerly await our lessons, your highness," he gives her a courteous bow before going into another corner and to allow for the selection to continue.

One by one, the rest of the students took turns to determine their emotions, and groups start to form with blue being the only one yet to appear. Until finally, Amber and Stellar were left as the only ones to find their emotions. Looking at one another, the two nodded and approached the table, ready to see what color awaited. The moment Stellar touched the orb, the entire room was bathed in an intense red light, which frightened everyone. And when she moved away and let Amber do the same, the same result happened, catching Sharp Shot's attention.

"Princess, what does the red mean?" the filly who had gone first asked, raising her hoof, but rather than answer Cadence only sighed and looked to both of the guards.

"Stellar, Amber, would you mind waiting outside the room while I finish the class?"

"As you wish, your highness," Amber nodded, and both were excused from the room, so Cadence continued her lesson.

After that was done, everyone headed to their designated 'classroom,' with another professor covering for Cadence's class. The Princess called for the guards again while sitting behind her desk, with two chairs in front of her.

"Close the door," she instructed Stellar the moment they entered, she did as told before they both took a seat. With a sigh, the Princess shook her head in disappointment. "I going to be blunt with you both. When Shining Armor told me that you wanted to take some courses in our school. I had my reservations." she looked back at them with pity. "From the stories he has told me, the implication of being a Celestial Centurion most likely implies that becoming desensitized was inevitable. Part of me thought you wouldn't be able to express any emotion whatsoever after what you have experienced."

She then looked at the orb. "Now I see that what I was imagining is nothing compared to what I just saw." she looked back at them with disappointment. "I'm not going to scold you from being angry, it is a legitimate and valid emotion to have, and after what happened in the Masquerade, I more than understand; goodness, I was in attendance that night, seeing what happened. Instead, I'm going to ask why neither of you have been using the facilities my husband told you to use when you entered?"

"Your highness with all due respect, there is no time for Stellar and I to put a halt on our training while a maniac is running free in the world." Amber answered. "The faster we learn how the emotion spectrum works, the faster the…"

"…you would repeat what happen in Canterlot!" Cadence snapped back before Amber could finish, before pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is exactly why I wanted the anger spectrum banned from the school."

"Princess, you can't do that, rejecting anger is like rejecting your horn; it is a part of yourself!"

"A part that makes us aggressive, blind, and beyond reasoning," Cadence pressed on. "Do not press my patience nor forget your position, soldier," Cadence finally said, dropping any form of honorific and looking at them with a glare. "I'm fully aware that anger is a part of us; there is nothing wrong in expressing it when the situation requires, but what you are implying is teaching kids to be angry. CHILDREN for pony's sake Amber, do I need to tell you why that's the worst idea imaginable?"

"No, ma'am," Amber responded as both she and Steller looked down in shame. Cadence only sighs and stood up before approaching the two.

"Listen, no pony is blaming you for what you did that night. You were just one more victim of that assassin. I, more than anyone, can comprehend that. But what this anger is doing to you... It's forcing you to endure pain. It poisons you, plain and simple. If you wish to capture that criminal, fine by me, you have my blessing. If you want to learn about the emotional spectrum to counter his magic, my school and its doors are always open. Though if you expect to gain my help, it will be under my rules and my conditions. Am I crystal clear?"

"Yes, your highness," Amber answered as Stellar simply nodded.

"Look, I understand that this is difficult, I'm still angry for a lot of the things that happened that night, but you don't see me letting that emotion rule me, right?" she said with a quick smile. "And you know why? Because I didn't let my pride get the better of me, and I sought the help that I needed," she levitated a piece of paper and a feather and wrote down a direction and a name. "This is the name of a professional who had even helped my aunt Celestia in the past. If you truly wish to continue at my school, I beg of you, seek him out, and talk about your problems. Let go of your anger, and we will try the test again. Ok?"

"But the criminal…"

"The finest soldiers in Equestria are scouring the lands for him; if they can track down the likes of Discord, I'm sure they will know if he steps hoof on Equestrian soil again. Please, nothing good will come from rushing things. Just take it one step at a time. Show me that you don't let your pride control you either, let me see the mares my husband admires so much truly shine before my eyes."

The guards looked at one another before sighing in defeat and taking the paper. "We will, your highness, for the safety of our crown, for the pride of the Celestials... and for our fans."

"Good. I will let this hiccup pass this time but it better not repeat itself, remember our motto; 'No fear, no anger, would enter this room,'" Cadence reminded them as they nodded

"We will keep that in mind, your Highness."

"Good, you are dismissed for the rest of the day then." Both mares were preparing to leave while Cadence checked some papers on her desk. "Also, just so you know, if you wish to counter the emotion of anger, you would need the spectrum of hope…keep that it in mind," she tells them without looking up, causing both mares to stop from a moment before resuming their march.

"Thank you, princess Mi A…thank you Cadence," Amber finally thanked her, dropping the honorific as they take their leave, and both took a glance at the letter the Princess had given them.

"Dr. Wolf? Have you ever heard of him?" Amber asked her partner, but she only shook her head. "Well, he must be good if even the Princess of Love recommended him." She sighed and looked down, "I can't believe we are going through this mess again just to catch a criminal."

Amber confessed, not looking forward to their visit with a psychologist until Stellar placed her hoof on her shoulder and smile.

"Yeah, I know, for the prince, right?"

Her friend nodded and removed her hoof

"For the prince, it is then, just doesn't expect me to do the talking, this is on you now Star" She half-joked, earning a light shove from her friend as they both shared some laughs while heading to their rooms.

Stellar, took the paper to memorize the directions, which to their luck wasn't too far from the castle. Such was their concentration that neither noticed the silhouette of a stallion watching them from afar.

_Hmmm, now this might be promising. _The pony thought out loud before retreating into the shadows.


	62. Sins Of A Singer

**Sins Of A Singer **

With Special Guest Dr. Wolf!

As the first rays of sunlight bathed the halls of the crystal empire, a short bipedal wolf with white fur was finishing his preparations to receive a particularly odd client. He was quite a sight, with his colors transitioning from white to grey to dark black at the tip of his tail. The same gradient marked his nose, on which a small set of glasses rested. The eyewear was coupled with a dark purple vest on top of a formal white shirt with the sleeves tucked in, and a matching light purple tie with some black shorts. He waited, standing in one of the receiving rooms of the crystal castle. His services had been requested by none other than the Princess herself. And he, Dr. Wolf, therapist and psychologist extraordinaire, was now waiting for two friends of the royalty.

The good Doctor didn't mind that much, quickly accepting the offer. He loved to help others in their time of need, and also, the payment the Princess was kind enough to give as a bonus was just too enticing to let the opportunity pass. Not to mention that this presented a perfect opportunity to try out his new therapy incense, made from carefully selected crystal flowers picked by none other than Mistmane.

Yet, as the final dampening stone was put in place and the Doctor returned to his chair to pick the specially made sound-canceling earplugs, given to him alongside the note with all the instructions that needed to be followed to the letter, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why one of his patients requested such extreme conditions for their session. Even for a soldier, this looked a to be a tad bit excessive, but for the sake of keeping his patient comfortable, he was willing to play along and hope that with time she would explain why so many precautions were necessary.

His train of thought was soon broken by a couple of knocks on the door, which signaled the arrival of his first patient.

"Come in," the Doctor instructed. Soon the door opened, revealing none other than Stellar. With a stern gaze, she marched right into the room and started to look around.

"Oh, good morning. You must be my first patient. Stellar, right?" Rather than answer, the mare in question began to poke all the dampening rocks in the room before whistling at them, resulting in them vibrating for a second before killing the sound almost immediately.

"Oh yes of course, just as requested, the entire room has been placed in three layers of sound-canceling magic barriers. I put the sound dampening crystals on the corners of the room and an emergency teleportation circle underneath my chair if anything fails," he explained as Stellar went on to check every precaution he had just listed. Once satisfied, she looked back at Doctor Wolf and then pointed at her ears.

"What? Oh! Right, I have the sound canceling plugs right here, do you want…" He was about to offer them to her, but she only shook her head and moved them back to him. "You want me to wear them?"

She nodded a couple of times in response.

"But then I won't be able to hear you."

"Y–You will," Stellar replied in a barely audible whisper, "Please," she insisted, looking at him straight on the eyes. With a defeated sigh, the Doctor finally decided to comply and put them on.

"Is this better?"

"Much, thanks for understanding doctor," Stellar finally spoke, a bit louder this time to the surprise of Dr. Wolf.

"What the…how can I hear you better now?"

"Those are not complete noise-canceling plugs, Doctor. They are adjusted so you can hear me on a frequency only bats can hear," she explained, and indeed the explanation held when the Doctor tried to listen without the plugs; he couldn't hear a single thing despite Stellar speaking.

"It was the only way I can be sure you'd be safe," Stellar confessed in shame, "I hope this isn't a problem, I just don't want to hurt anyone by accident."

"It's ok, and I'm willing to accept your conditions if it helps you feel more comfortable. Though it just makes me wonder, are you that afraid of your own voice?" Dr. Wolf inquired with sadness as the poor mare only nodded in shame.

"Ever since I hit puberty. In a way, it also why I am so mad with the pony that tried to kill the Prince," she explained before taking a seat on a couch while Dr. Wolf went to sit in a high backed chair next to her.

"Sounds like it was hard growing up, why don't you tell me about it? Tell me about how your childhood was?"

Steller sighed and laid down on the couch. "Well, I suppose you could say that it was far from normal, but then again, that is to be expected when your mom is a siren," she explained, before standing up to grab a bit of her fur near her neck — pulling it back slightly so the Doctor could see an actual gill, which was hidden underneath. "And yes, they are functional, which means I'm kind of an amphibious pony that can breathe underwater," she mentioned with a small hint of pride and a smile on her face.

"Fascinating, this is the first time I have seen a pony displaying the attributes of a sea pony from her mother's side of the family."

Stellar only shook her head at that. "My mom isn't a sea pony, but I understand the confusion. Ponies frequently have a hard time noticing the difference," Stellar corrected, "A sea pony and a siren are like a unicorn and a pegasus, both equines but different species."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

"None taken, but as I said, it happens all the time. So you can have a better reference, the sea ponies lived in Seaquestria, and their hooves are fins, not to mention that the ones on their backs are thinner and smaller. Sirens have actual frontal hooves, and their fins are much larger and bulkier which allow flight. Normally they lived in the northern, colder regions of the world and don't interact much with the outside, which is why the information about them is a tad limited…and of course; there is also their singing power. You are probably familiar with the infamous story about those three sirens."

"I have heard of the story, yes," the Doctor gave a small nod.

"Just know that those three don't represent the rest of the species, they were just criminals with a thirst for power and disregarded the gift we sirens have," Stellar was quick to answer with slight but present anger, most likely from experience. "Anyways, back to my story. Like other sirens, my mom had one incredible magical voice, and the thing she loved to do the most was to sing. So when sailors navigated near her territory, she often sang to them to help them navigate through the most dangerous parts of the ocean, using a bit of mild mind control while doing so, but she never abused her abilities in the end. It was during one of her many sessions when she found my dad, a now ex-pirate named Kid North Star, who, like mom, loved to sing more than anything in the world. According to them, the harmony of their duet was so cute that stars danced around them," Stellar recalled with fondness before giggling. "Of course that is probably an exaggeration, but that is more or less how they met, fell in love and eventually settled down in a little house near the coast of Prance where they had my older sister, Delfy Star."

"Sounds like one incredible love st…sto…wait a minute! did…did you just say Delfy Star? As in the Prance Pearl of the ocean? The famous star of the world of jazz, the sea pony Delfy Star?"

"The same," Stellar confirmed with a nod. "As you can see, I look after my dad while Delfy was closer to mom, and yes before you ask, our mom is Aurora Borealis, are you familiar with her work as well?"

"Am I? I'm a big fan of her! The opera songs she has performed, I even use some of her recordings with some of my sessions. Her voice is one of the most heavenly things I have ever heard!" he gushed with great excitement.

"Yep, sounds like mom, she never stopped singing. And as you can imagine, that voice got the attention of the neighbors, then the mayor, then other towns and before we knew it, mom and dad started performing for the richest of audiences of the day, and my sister soon joined in the fun too. I always tried my best, too, but…"

She sighed before looking down. "But then puberty happened, and everything changed forever."

"What exactly happened?"

"It was during a school performance. Like the rest of my family, I had this dream of performing on stage and singing with my family, as Alouette Star, the best singer of the world," she recalled, moving her hoof from side to side. "A silly dream of a delusional thirteen-year-old little filly."

"Why that name?"

"It was the name given to me before I changed it out of shame. You see, Doctor, when I was born, I thought I only inherited the gills and my mom's eyes while my sister got the horn and eyes of my dad…turns out that of the two, only I inherited the voice of a siren."

"Oh dear, you mean…" D. Wolf looked at her in surprise as he covered his mouth when she nodded.

"It happened so fast, and I was too engrossed in my singing to notice, but when I came of age, the siren side of me made itself known to the audience and put the entire school in a trance."

"It forced their bodies to dance on my command. At first, I thought that my singing was just that good until my mom saw what was happening and used her singing to break the spell. Thank the stars they were in the audience."

"Only that stopped me from causing any more damage. That was by far the darkest day of my life, and it just got worse from there," Stellar mentioned as she closed her eyes and cleaned a single tear from her left eye.

"The next day, they took me to see an expert, and he confirmed our fears. Since I'm not a full-fledged siren, my vocal cords can't exactly turn off the siren voice, and what's worse, I don't even need to be singing to use it. Just one word could be enough to influence the minds of others, and if I'm not constantly restraining my voice, it can happen at any moment without warning whether I desire it or not. Do you know what that means for a singer, Doctor? A true singer puts their soul and heart into a performance. Being forced to stay conscious of your voice means never being able to hit a single note with emotion. The dream of a silly teenage filly was shattered that day," Stellar finished while holding back tears. "That's why I decided to simply not talk and why I asked you for all these precautions. I don't want to hurt ponies simply by talking…I don't want to recreate that incident ever again." She then pointed to different parts of the room.

"You asked me if I'm afraid of my voice earlier? Well, the truth is that during those years, I lived every day absolutely terrified of it." she admitted with shame. "That is why I enrolled in the royal army, or rather, it was the solution that I came up with after my parents asked Princess Celestia for help. Such unique abilities were too good to let go to waste, and both her and my parents thought that with the proper guidance, I could find a way to control my powers. Maybe I could find a way to speak regularly again, and back then, I was so scared that I would hurt anyone that I was willing to try anything."

"And that is when you decided to enroll in the school of gifted unicorns. So you could have a better understanding of your powers, right?"

Stellar nodded. "Or to remove them altogether if necessary."

" I beg your pardon?" Dr. Wolf asked in alarm.

"I know, I know, that is a terrible thing to think about, but I was afraid, young, and naive. I wasn't thinking much back then. So out of a whim and not wanting to get any sort of attention from the shame of what happened, I changed my name to 'Stellar' and enrolled in her school, not uttering a single world for three whole years. Those were the hardest of times, and thankfully Princess Celestia, bless her soul, stayed with me the entire time, and together we found temporary solutions that allowed me to talk. A couple of words here, talking in whispers, she even taught me hoof language, so I didn't have to talk much. All the while, we studied together on how to understand my condition better. And that was when I embarked on a new adventure to find a new dream for myself."

"Don't you miss being able to sing?"

"Oh, of course, I do. I have had many dreams where I can perform on stage once more, at least one last time," she sighed, wallowing in self-pity for a bit as she looked down. "I suppose that is one of the few regrets that still lingers in my heart. But the new dream I managed to achieve has helped me find inner peace and purpose in my life. All thanks to an event that helped me realize that I wanted to be a royal guard."

"Really? What happened?"

"It was during one of my daily meditation sessions in the park, at the suggestion of the Princess, I started to embrace Tai-Chi and inner reflection to better calm my mind and soul. During that time, I heard the voices of guards chasing a thief not too far from where I was. All of a sudden, I listened to a mare and filly scream in fear. I opened my eyes in horror to see how in the act of desperation, the brute took the filly as a hostage and was currently pressing a knife on the poor girl's neck to keep the guard's far from him. When it appeared that the crook was going to get away, I saw the tears in the filly's eyes, and for some reason, she looked directly at me and mouthed a sentence that changed my life forever.

'Help me.'"

Stellar closed her eyes, remembering the event in her mind before looking back at the Doctor.

"The next thing I knew, I was rushing toward them, and for one second, I forgot my fears and restraint as I used my siren voice for the second time in my life to say 'Stop!' The expression of utter confusion on the thief's face was simply priceless. What's better was when I gave the command to let her go, I discovered that somehow I managed to target only the burglar and not the filly who rushed to her mom almost immediately," she smiled at the memory as she grabbed her left hoof.

"Both her and her mom hugged me so tight out of gratitude. I feared that they would never let me go, and at that moment, I felt happy once again. My powers helped an innocent individual instead of hurting them. I could use it to protect, to keep others safe, To be a guardian instead of a threat, and I knew that if I could refine it, even more, no civilian would ever be harmed as long as I had something to say about it." she continued with not a small amount of pride.

"The next day, I left the school and requested the Princess to put me in the royal guard program. It was quite a shock for both her and my family when I told them about it. But…they ultimately let me go when they saw me smiling again. From there, the rest is history. I rose through the ranks and got a better understanding of my powers. I fought against those that abused theirs. That is why I am so angry at that assassin; he doesn't care that he hurts others, and used his gifts as he pleased, causing suffering and pain wherever he goes. Seeing ponies doing that reminds me of what I once did, and that's enough to make my blood boil."

"Is it now?" Dr. Wolf asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean, doctor?" Stellar was confused by his question.

"Well, Stellar, I'm happy that you found a purpose in life and discovered a way to use your powers to protect the innocent, but are you truly happy with how things are right now? Sure, your life might appear comfortable, but have you ever tried speaking normally again?"

"Why would I do that? I have Amber for that; she's my friend, and she knows me so well that there is no need for me to say anything to anyone. She would gladly speak for the two of us, and I'm grateful to her for that."

"But, Stellar, that is not a solution, that is an excuse." Dr. Wolf argued back, "Choosing not to speak and letting others do the talking doesn't solve the problem; it just postpones it. Plus you said it yourself, your dream of singing is still there, will you truly be happy with yourself never trying to sing again?"

"Of course, I will…it just that I already know that it's impossible," she looked quite shamefaced when she gave this admission, "And what does that have to do with my anger with the assassin?"

"I think the seed of your anger is not necessarily directed at the assassin but rather at yourself."

"What?"

"Well think it of it this way, putting aside the fact that this criminal is hurting others. Like yourself, this pony clearly is showing a gift of his that Equestria has never seen before. But where you hide it and restrain yourself, he parades it around with pride. Having such confidence in himself and what he can do, doesn't that make you feel a bit…jealous?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then let's do a little experiment, close your eyes for a moment."

She did as she was instructed.

"Ok, not let use our imagination for a bit. Try to picture a complete theater packed full with ponies enjoying the performance of a mare singing her heart out."

"Ok?"

"Now imagine that this mare is a pegasus, but not an ordinary pegasus, since she is half Kirin, and can ignite her body as she sings."

"What?" Stellar's eyes shot open with alarm.

"Interesting, tell me why the idea of another pony having a situation similar to yours scare you so much?"

"It just feels…unnatural, and dangerous, what if she burns someone in the audience?"

"And what if she doesn't? How does that make you feel?"

"I don't want to think about it."

"Fair enough, let's try again, this time a stallion, a firefighter. Just a regular unicorn…with the dragon's scales of his mom, making him impervious to fire and very resistant to falling debris, which makes him perfect for the job, he is good at it, and what is more, he loves it. Because he loves his job, helping others."

"I suppose," Stellar replied. The mare was doing an abysmal job of hiding her growing irritation.

"Ok, let's try it this time with someone you know then, someone that has proven to be a nice pony to others, I want you to picture Blueblood, nothing special, just picture him in your head, you got it?"

She nodded in response.

"Now picture him as his alter ego and tell me what you feel."

"I feel…I feel…anger?" Stellar opened her eyes in surprise as she holds her chest. "Why? I…I don't get it, and he is kind. A bit brash but with a good heart, he treats Amber and I with respect and kindness why…why all of the sudden when I picture him as Blood Moon I feel like this, it's like I…I feel jealous?" she realized in a moment of dawning cognition as Dr. Wolf nodded a bit smugly.

"See? It looks like the root of your anger goes deeper than just protecting others."

"What should I do, Doctor Wolf? How do I get rid of that?"

"You don't have too, and there is nothing wrong with feeling envious of others. Letting it control you, letting it twist into anger or violence, now _that _is a problem. What you must do is use those emotions as an opportunity to improve yourself. See those more successful than you as inspiration and guide. Find out what they did that helped them reach the place where they are now. And of course be happy for their success, because chances are, they must have worked as hard as you to reach the top," Dr. Wolf told his patient firmly.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"My pleasure, and well, it looks like our time is almost up. I'm glad we managed to achieve so much in one session, I would love to have another one, but that is completely up to you. What do you say? Maybe the next one we won't require the earplugs?"

"It's not going to be that easy, Doctor…but I wouldn't mind talking a bit more. Telling you about my problems helps; I feel like a weight has been lifted off my back," Stellar mentioned with a smile as she got up. "I will inform you when I can schedule another session, is that ok with you?"

"As long as you give me some weeks in advance, I wouldn't mind," Dr. Wolf said with a shrug.

"In that case, I will try to keep in touch, Doctor. Until then, thank you for your help," She nodded and marched toward the door as Dr. Wolf takes out his earplugs with a sigh.

_Well, now that was one incredible backstory, poor mare. I hope she finds a way to overcome her self-imposed mutism_. He mused to himself in pity, watching the door close before picking a clipboard.

_Ok then, let's see who is next on the list? Hmm, Amber. Ah, and it seems that she only requested…a punching bag?_Dr. Wolf re-read the condition asked before groaning internally.

_This is going to be one of _those _sessions, I just know it._


	63. Amber's Core

**Amber's Core**

"I still can't believe it," Commander Hurricane exclaimed out loud. At this time, she and Amber admired a mural displaying King Sombra's head terrorizing the crystal empire as they waited for the return of Stellar from her session with Dr. Wolf. "That colt grew up just to do all that damage?"

"I'm sorry, Commander, but that's how things ended up. Once he assumed the throne, King Sombra didn't waste any time in turning the kingdom into a dictatorship, one so big and dangerous that it risked the peace of all Equestria. The royal sisters didn't have any choice but to intervene and put a stop to it."

"You realize that that only makes things more uncomfortable for me, right? I saw that tyrant as a baby, for pony's sake! I held him in my hooves! And he didn't exactly have a difficult childhood; what could have happened that made him do all of this?"

Amber could only shrug in response, "No pony can predict the future, ma'am. Things sometimes simply happen. Having a nice childhood doesn't guarantee that you will choose right from wrong, correct? Growing up with too much privilege can lead to the risk of making you too prideful."

"Yeah, you're right," Hurricane nodded with a sigh, "I just think it's sad, poor Penumbra. The stars know how ashamed she would be if she had seen her child become that monster."

"Such can be the cruelty of fate, madam," the voice of Sharp Shot alerted both mares as he made his way towards them before giving them a short bow. "Please excuse me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation," he apologized with a small smile. "I just wanted to speak with you; after all, it's not every day when someone has the opportunity of meeting not only a member of the most elite of security forces in the world but also one of the founders who are credited with the creation of Equestria itself. I believe saying that 'it's an honor' is entirely lacking in describing my joy right now."

"And we certainly appreciate the praise, Sir Sharp Shot," Amber acknowledged him with a calm and professional voice. "Although I'm afraid you are praising us a bit too much. We only did our job as defenders of Equestria and its relationships with the rest of the world. A feat which you have contributed to in no small amount. The weaponry and armor your family business has donated to the crown over the years have been of great use."

"Oh please, Miss Amber, there is no need for such formalities. After all, although retired, I also served the crown."

"I'm aware of that, yes. Ten years of service as a royal guard, five as a Wonder Bolt, and two as a drill sergeant before retiring and taking control of your family's arms manufacturing business," Amber listed, earning the attention of Hurricane.

"You have read my file, I'm touched," Sharp Shot confessed, bringing his right hoof toward his chest.

"And I'm impressed," she said with a smile, "Royal Guard, Wonderbolt, Drill Sergeant…all with not a single visible scar on you," she mentions while inspecting his body. "Either battles here have gotten soft, or you have become a fast learner on the field Rusty" She nicknamed him with a smirk.

"Or I was simply luckier than the bastard who was on the other side of my blade," he remarked with a smirk of his own. "Just as you always told your troops, twice as fast…"

"…Or a blade to your eye," she finished the expression with a chuckle. "So you have read about me, too, eh?"

"Of course I did, I don't believe there is a single pegasus on the force that doesn't know the tale of Commander Hurricane, the matriarch of the military forces of Equestria and teacher of the sky. Meeting a legend such as yourself could be enough to make the child in me to do a backflip."

"Heh, OK, Rusty enough with the kiss ass, didn't you say there was something you wanted to talk about it? Or was that just an excuse to approach us and ask for an autograph?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, making him chuckle.

"Oh, if only it could be both, but you are right. I had the intention of speaking with you, particularly my classmate," he said, looking at Amber, "About the incident with the assassin some time ago."

"And what pray tell, would you like to talk about Sir? That is a particularly sensitive subject," she asked with suspicion, taking a step closer.

"I just want to collaborate in the apprehension of the perpetrator, I assure you. But I was hoping that I could talk with you and your partner about it."

"She is busy at the moment."

"A real shame, perhaps at another time then. I'm sensing that our interests are the same, and my help could be of use in your mission," he said before giving them a polite bow. "I will be near the savior statue if you wish to speak with me. Until then, good day maladies" He waved them goodbye while marching away, Amber still keeping an eye on him until he disappeared.

"What do you make of him, soldier?" Hurricane asked in a severe tone.

"I'm not completely sure, ma'am, I didn't detect any form of hostility or deception on his posture or voice. He seems legitimately interested in helping us arrest that criminal, plus despite being an extremely influential noble, I don't sense any form of manipulation from his part. Other than the possibility of using Stellar and I to promote some new creation of his. He is, after all, a business stallion."

"I'm detecting a 'but' coming up."

"…But something about him just doesn't feel right. I can't exactly put my hoof on it, but my gut is telling me to be on alert when around him."

"Good instincts; mine assessment is the same. I have only met a hoof full of stallions who have as many titles as he has, and none of them were as calm and collected as he is after that. Sure, that was before we had psychologists on the force, but that only goes so far. With such a dangerous and violent lifestyle we lived, maintaining that degree of calm, especially when deciding to move from one force to another, can come across as a bit unnerving for me. Either that guy has one of the best psychologists on Equestria that help him with his PTSD, or he's hiding something," she mentions, unsure of what to make out of him. "I will keep an eye on him if that helps you."

"You would do that, ma'am?" Amber looked at Hurricane in surprise, earning a shrug out of her. "Sure, I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do. Besides, Rusty there is a fan, so I bet it would make his day if I spent the day with him," she said with a chuckle. "I will let you know if I find anything else, but for now, isn't it about time for your appointment?"

"Indeed, Stellar must be wrapping things up now. Thanks, Commander."

"Don't mention it. Now off you go before that wolf guy chews your ear off for being late."

"Will do, ma'am." Amber gives her a salute, and both mares went in different directions.

After a short walk, the mare found her companion marching toward her with a small skip in her step and a smile on her face, earning a smirk from Amber. "Do I even need to ask how it went?" Amber asked her friend, who was too absorbed in her mind to notice her until she spoke, earning a small 'eep' and jump backward on her part.

"I will take that as a no," Amber replies before chuckling at her friend's antics, earning a roll of the eyes from Stellar, yet her smile never faltered.

"It helped me get things into perspective." When Amber heard that, it was her turn to do a double-take as she stopped laughing to see her friend in complete shock.

"Did-Did you just say a whole sentence...out loud?"

Her friend just feigned ignorance as she looked away. "Sure, now you decide to go back to normal," Amber grunted in frustration before smiling again. "Been a long time since you got that confident, the doc must be just that good at his job."

Stellar nodded eagerly at her question with a smile of her own.

"Well, as long as it helps us speed things up here," Amber shrugs before both mares see a couple of stallions passing through carrying a punching bag and heading to Dr. Wolf's room. Immediately Stellar knew what was going on and looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"What? You know me, I can't talk much about my past without punching something. You have your way of relaxing, and I got mine," she defended herself before continuing to see Doctor Wolf. "See you later, Star! Oh, and the Commander is trying to dig up information on a creepy fan of ours that claims that he can help us with our mission, in case you want to take a look at that as well," she informed her without looking. Stellar nodded a couple of times before going to enjoy the rest of the day, her mind still plagued with questions and thoughts that needed to be addressed before doing anything else.

Once the accommodations were installed, Amber entered the room where Dr. Wolf was waiting, and right next to the sofa, just as she wanted, was a punching bag ready to be used. "Nice," she nods while inviting herself in.

"Ah, you must be Amber, correct?"

"That's me, and I see you got my request. Thanks, Doc, this baby will make things easier for me," she said with a smile as she inspected the equipment. "When talking about my feelings, I like to let off some steam while doing so. It helps me stay at peace; I hope this doesn't bother you, Doc."

"Not at all, we all have our methods of relaxation, and I had seen this one before…ah, just don't ask me to hold the bag while you hit or buck it, please," he mentions her with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Nah, relax, this is for talking, not training. I will just be hitting it at random, so just a fair warning before we begin, I have a bit of a temper so that I might yell here or there."

"I will keep it in mind."

"OK then, fire away. What do you want to know, Doc?"

"Why don't we start by telling something about yourself, maybe your past or how your childhood was?"

"Oh my childhood, that is quite the story, alright," Amber said with a sigh as she approached the bag until she stood right in front of it, then closed her eyes to reminisce. "My childhood is not something as spectacular as what Stellar most likely told you about, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. Being the next in line of two long lineages of royal guards, serving the crown since before Nightmare Moon, you could imagine that my future was kind of set in stone. Introductions to self-defense training at year five, discipline lessons at eight, extended history lessons of Equestria at ten, the introduction to weapon training at thirteen...you get the picture," she said in shame before getting angry throwing two jabs at the punching bag.

"I never had any control over my life, growing up. I was just another piece on the board. My future was set; my education was planned, my entire fucking life! Set in a suit of neat and shiny armor, ready to smoother the ever-living daylights out of me!" She yelled in an outburst as she kept saying, "' We are only doing what is best for you, Amber!' 'Your parents know best!' 'You better not disappoint your family!' 'On your shoulders rest more than 100 generations of pristine and noble guards!' 'Heavens forbid you to think on your own!'" She wailed, making out the voices of her parents as she hit the bag over and over in a rage until she calmed down and took break to breathe "My parents…the on-so-lovable yet strict unicorns that they were, always with something to say, always pushing me to my limits, always expecting me to be the perfect toy soldier! And I, the little six-year-old filly that I was, just bought all of their shit and only nodded and smiled while they kept working on their life project that was my childhood" She sniffed and held back tears, as one of her frontal hoofs trembled. "It was a freaking miracle that I didn't simply snap and slit their throats while they were sleeping."

She confessed in a fit of anger before her eyes widen and she looked back at Dr. Wolf who was getting increasingly, more concerned and scared of what she was saying

"By the stars!" That is the only thing the doctor could say, shocked for what he just heard. "That is…that is horrible! No kid should live that! The idea alone is just inhumane!"

"Don't worry! Nothing happened; everything was solved; things never escalated that far!" She quickly and rapidly in an attempt to ease the tension on the room

"Everything was solved? Amber, they conditioned you to be a soldier! That is no way of living. I can't even picture how any pony could function after that sort of treatment!"

"Yeah, I know!" She agreed with a nod, "I was this close to being placed in an orphanage, and my parents nearly went to prison for crimes against pony rights. Heck princess Celestia herself was particularly enraged when she heard the story." She casually replied, only serving to confuse the doctor even more. "Long story short, the inevitable happens. I got angry at the world. I felt like I couldn't breathe and…in a fit of anger put a kid in my school in the hospital because of that, 3 broken ribs, a bleeding nose and a broken hoof, yeah not my best moments." Amber confessed in shame, "You could imagine the rest; compensation for medical and psychological trauma, expulsion from school, family therapy, anger management sessions, parenting lessons. That whole song and dance, it was a mess I got myself and my family into it" She got angry and started punching the bag again "And as a result, got even less control over my life, by the stars, every pony wary or on edge around me. Constant surveillance, by the stars there was a moment I thought if I ever heard the phrase 'how are you feeling?' one more time…" She snap back to reality, and see the doctor again "…It's cool! It water under the bridge now, no need to panic"

She tell the doctor trying not to scare him off again

"I-I can see that" He clears his throat once he is more relaxed "Please proceed"

"Anyway, after 2 years of that mess, and having a particular chat with the princess herself things started to improve, and for the first time I felt like I was breathing again. Mom and dad, finally got into their heads not to push a filly too hard and let her have a life. Even though the training never stopped."

"I'm sorry, did you just say that after all that, they still keep pressure you into becoming a guard?" Wolf asked, not believing what she was saying.

"Are you starting to see why the subject of the control is not something easy for me, Doc? But don't worry, things got better and believe or not, I was as tired of all that drama as my parents were. I just wanted to rest, give them a chance, and compromise, somewhat. Were they harsh? Heck yeah, but it wasn't to the point where I would prefer taking my chances with some set of strangers out there. So I give them another chance, and that paid off…eventually"

"I can see that you and your parents didn't exactly have the best of relationships growing up."

That comment managed a laugh out of Amber "Not in the slightest, no. But as I said, it got better, and we buried the past. They were never monsters. They just didn't know how to raise a kid, and well. As corny as this might sound. I still love them." She admitted with a little smile.

"Well, I'm glad that the incident was resolved and that things were never progressed to the point where something irreversible had happened then…the child recovered right?" Dr. Wolf asked for concern for the incident that started it all.

"Oh yeah, full recovery…ok maybe he developed a slight bit of venustraphobia for a while but I worked really hard to help him overcome it, which I did by the by I did. So no pony can't say I don't clean my own messes"

"I see that, a sense of guilt, wishing to repent, and owning to your mistakes. A treat that I'm sure, were ingrain as part of your soldier training"

"Call it what you want doc, I just felt bad and wanted to make things right, and let me tell you. That kid was the bigger pony of the two for giving me a chance after all that happen" She states with genuine admiration.

"After hearing that story? I complete agree"Dr. Wolf nods, calming down a bit. "And with a start like that, I could imagine that your teenage years were a notch rebellious as a result?"

"Oh, you bet they were doc." Amber admitted without any hint of shame as she recalled the memory "when I entered that phase, I went hard, I might have overcome my aggressive behaviour, but mom and dad were not out of the woods with me, not by a long shot" she looked up and reminisced. "Purple mohawk, piercings, black make-up, torn up jackets, the whole package. I sported it all and did it with pride. At first, I was just acting out, getting under my parent's skin, but the sensation of freedom, the feeling that I didn't need to _earn _my happiness, being in complete control of my own life. Oh, Doc, it was euphoric," she sighed in happiness before looking back at him.

"Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"In a way, I do. It sounds like you find a form of inner peace during your rebellious phase, a very unusual method, I have to add."

"Heh, yeah, you could say that. And well, it's kind of obvious by looking at me, but thankfully it was a phase. A certain event that happened to me during that time opened my eyes to the reality of the world to see how bad I was screwing with my life with that lifestyle" She looks back at the punching bag. "Pika…that son of a mule ex of mine," she whispered in a tone full of venom as she hugged the exercise equipment, or more accurately, it looked like she was trying to split it in half with a bear hug. "Now, he was a real piece of work."

"Amber, if the subject is too sensitive for you, we don't need to talk about it right away," Dr. Wolf said to her with a concerned voice. "We can change the subject if you want. By the stars, the adventure with your parents alone sounded like quite the odyssey you had"

"Nah doctor, I'm a big filly, I can handle it," Amber was quick to answer back. "Plus, you might want to hear this story," she defended, trying to keep it together. Dr. Wolf was still a bit nervous but let her continue.

"So there I was, a naive and gullible sixteen-year-old runaway troublemaker in love, willing to do anything for her sweetheart, with nothing but a dream of a "happily ever after" and her life savings to start our new life. And yeah, I'm aware of the hypocrisy, of robbing my family after I gave them a chance, and they changed for the better" She chuckled while shaking her head and sniffing a little. Because she had her back to the doctor, he couldn't see it, but it was pretty apparent that she was holding back tears.

"I should have known better during that time, despite being so young, we somehow managed to land a decent apartment on the rich side of Canterlot. There was food, electricity, water. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was too good to be true, and yet, I was too blind in love to question anything. 'Do the chores' Pika told me, even hurting others for him that wanted to hurt him because 'they were just against me,' I thought that I got away with my wish until he grew tired of having me around, turns out that I was only muscle for him, and then a scapegoat for when the law got too close. The spineless swine didn't even have the BALLS to look me in the face when he broke up with me. Instead, I simply woke up one day hearing a pony starting to break down our apartment door. When trying to look for Pika, I only found a 'dear John' note an open window near our room while the royal guards started banging on the door of our room, yelling something about some drug possession."

She smiled and looked back at him. "A drug dealer. Of course, he was a drug dealer, who simply got lucky in finding a rich stallion willing to be his client. Can I pick them or what, Doc?"

"Amber, it was in the past you didn't know any better," he tried to console her but stopped when she hit the punching bag as hard as she could, making it spin everywhere, she then continued before he could say anything else.

"Of course, I was no longer blinded by love after that. No, instead I was seating with white-hot fury ready to turn his skull into mush, but then my parents arrived and…" she sobbed and this time hugged the punching bag "…they didn't have to do anything. I couldn't even be mad at them any longer. They could have just let me rot in jail after being such a pain in the flank… And yet they came to my rescue. There was no obligation, but still, they did, and when I asked them why they did it, why they paid for my sentence after everything I have done? They simply looked at me like I just asked why the sky was blue and just told me that they loved me."

Unable to hold back tears, she almost choked while continuing. "That night, everything was put on the table, how even after all the therapy I still found discomfort, my pleading to be completely free, even my fears of not knowing what to do if not a royal guard. Things were said, tears were shed, and in the end, we hugged it out, and I was done with that ridiculous phase of mine and decided to do what I wanted to do."

"And that led you to being a royal guard?"

"Eventually, yeah." She cleared her eyes and her snout before turning around to face the doctor. "I tried my hooves at other things first, you know, see what I could do and got my hooves wet. I was able to be free with my decisions, with no pony controlling me. Sure, in the end, I decided to follow the family tradition, but it was _my _choice and mine alone. The fact that I could chase down and subdue the rat that left me was just going to be a sweet, sweet bonus."

"You entered the guards…searching for means for revenge?" Dr. Wolf asked in worry.

"At first, yeah. That bastard didn't just leave me to rot. There were scars still fresh in my mind, traumas that wouldn't let me rest until I had a couple of words with him…scores to settle at last." For each word, she kept punching the bag, making it spin faster and faster, and Dr. Wolf could even start to see scorch marks on it until she stopped and resumed.

"But as time went on, I discovered that I liked being a guard. I was a natural, and better yet, I discovered that just because you followed orders doesn't mean that you lost your freedom, it just was another job. A dangerous and strict job sure, but a job nonetheless, and it wasn't anything I couldn't deal with." she boasted in pride. "Plus, Stellar saved me from doing something I would have regretted on my first assignment, and after that, I was able to put all those thoughts behind me and prove myself to be the best of the best."

"Excuse me. You said Stellar saved you? Amber, did you almost…kill Pika?"

"Heh, if only things had been that easy, Doc, but that is a story for another time. Anyway, you can picture the rest. I rose to the top of the class, got the attention of Celestia, job offers rained down nonstop, and finally, my proud parents could see their baby at the top of the food chain." she proclaimed with pride before her expression turned somber. "All by my own choosing and hard work, without the influence of anyone."

Glaring at the floor, she returned her attention to the punching bag. "And then that assassin came around and used me as a puppet again! Robbed me of my control! Forced me to hurt others! Cost me my job, hurt our rulers, and…"

"Amber!" Wolf has to yell to snap her back to reality, and when she comes back to awareness, she noticed the remains of what once was the punching bag and her own panting from exhaustion.

"It's OK, you are in a safe place here," He said, calming her down.

"Sorry," she whispered in shame and with some heat in her cheeks.

Once she regained her breath, she went and sat on the chair. "So you see, what is my problem now? One thing is what he did, but making me hurt others? That is a sensitive subject for me. It reminds me of old wounds."

"I can see that. Tell me, Amber, was the situation of your ex-boyfriend ever resolved?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, was he brought to justice? Or is he still out there?"

"Oh, he was captured, alright!" she said with a happy tone. "One of my very first arrests!"

"Good, and after he was put in jail, were you able to move on from when he abandoned you?"

"Wasn't that implied when I told you that my parents and I talked it out?"

"Yes, you did, and I'm delighted to hear it because it means you and your family managed to work your differences and grew as a result. But were you able to do the same with that drug dealer?"

"What!? Why in the nine circles of Tartarus would I EVER even consider speaking a word to that worm?!" she asked, getting defensive.

"You already answered that question, the trauma that he left you with, the words that needed to be said. Where were those words ever said?"

"Of course they…they were."

"Telling him his rights, exchanging insults and dragging him into a jail cell doesn't count," Dr. Wolf listed while crossing his arms and looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "So I will ask again, was the subject resolved, or at the very least addressed?"

"What else needs to be said? It was a stupid mistake, and he is no longer part of my life."

"But Amber, don't you see, it _is _part of your life. Being in control is indeed a sensitive subject for you. By the stars, you and Stellar had developed a bond with each to avoid your problems."

"We what?!" Amber asked in alarm, yet raised his paw at that.

"A subject for another session, because that is something else that needs to be addressed properly later on. For now, we need to talk about that trauma of yours and how you are avoiding it."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you are, and we both know why. But those feelings you have for Pika and that assassin, it's not anger, isn't it?"

"I…I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with these accusations," she looks away, starting to get nervous.

"Amber, please, you need to stop getting defensive. You can't get better until you are honest with yourself and admit what you are feeling."

She doesn't respond, instead, she withdrew into herself, holding tears, not wanting to admit the truth.

"You are only making things worse by not saying anything, Amber, and this incident will repeat. No matter how much you work or try to avoid it until you say it, it will still hurt. And Celestia knows who will be harmed next because of it, your friend…your family…the royal family..."

The comment managed to snap Amber out of it, and she imagined herself in the middle of a crater with her friends on the ground severely injured and looking at Amber with fear. Biting her tongue, Amber closed her eyes in frustration.

"F-FINE! OK, I admit it! I'm not angry. I was never furious at what I am…what I am was afraid!" she yelled in frustration with tears in her eyes, as she heard herself in surprise. "I'm afraid," she repeated to herself in realization.

"And that is the first step." Dr. Wolf smiled and clapped his paws. "I'm proud of you, Amber."

"No, I can't be. If I'm afraid, how can I do my job?" she asked, looking at the doctor for answers.

"One step at a time," he tells her with a smile. "And at your own pace, you can deal with the trauma that this pony inflicted on you. Unfortunately, I don't know if it will ever fade completely, but it is clear that to overcome it, the final step on your journey will be to confront him directly."

"Yeah…yeah, you are right, Doc! Until I talk with that rat, I will never be free of him!"

"True, but not yet." he shook his head.

"What? Why not?"

"You are still too emotionally fragile," he remarked while pointing at the remains of the punching bag. "Confronting him now could result in some terrible consequences. What you need right now is a ton of soul searching and a way to channel all that pent up frustration you have. Put your mind at peace in a sort of way."

"Oh, please don't tell me I have to do all that meditation stuff," she complained like a filly not wanting to eat her vegetables. "Doc, I can't stay still. I'm a mare of action! I need to keep moving!"

"That is not an issue. You can meditate and do just that at the same time."

"Oh no, I am not going to fall for that Tai-Chi, mumbo jumbo thing either. Stellar tried on me once, and didn't work."

"I was thinking of something more of your comfort zone" Dr. Wolf opened a drawer and passed her a CD case.

"What is this?"

"Adrenaline music. Tell me, have you ever trained with headphones before?"

"No, not, as far as I recall," Amber confessed.

"Excellent, then this might help you start with your recovery. From now on, each time you exercise or have any angry thoughts, I want you to go take a lap while hearing this, and don't stop until you hear at least three whole songs."

"You want me to train to work on my issues?"

"Trust me, we all have our methods of relaxation and for what I have seen, and you have told me, I'm pretty sure this one will help you relax. I know a bit of a contradiction, but trust me, it does. Feel free to add any other song you want. As long as it keeps your blood pumping, it will do the trick."

"Well, sounds unusual…yet enticing," She confessed, looking at the CD as a smile slowly appeared on her face. "Ah what the heck, beats smelling candles and moving at a snail's pace, I will give it a go. Thanks, Doc."

"Don't mention it." He then looked at a clock on the wall. "Our time is almost up, but I would like to have more sessions with you if you don't mind."

"You want to hear that story, don't you?"

"And I would like to address this relationship you and your friend have developed over the years, yes. But that decision will ultimately be yours."

Amber thought it over before she comes up with an idea, "You know what, let me see how this music thing works out first, and then I will give you my answer." She then goes to the door. "For now, there's a lot I need to unpack. Don't worry, Doc, I will keep the offer in mind. Until then, later!" She waves goodbye, leaving Dr. Wolf alone as he sighed.

_One is an introvert while the other is an extrovert, and they use each other to hide their problems. They don't seem to realize it, but unknowingly, they have developed a cage for their friend. I just hope their friendship can support the truth and that they can work through their issues._

He sighed again and looked at both of their pictures on the table. _I hope they decide to continue our sessions; there is still too much to heal…and damn it now, Amber left me with a question. What precisely happened with those two?_ He admitted in frustration while looking at the door.


	64. Sharp Shoot Proposal

**Sharp Shoot Proposal**

While reading a beginner's guide on how to manifest emotions into solid constructs, Sharp Shot activated his necklace and took the occasional glance at the statue of Spike in front of him. Or rather, he looked at the ponies that stopped to admire it or even take a picture of it. All of them presented the perfect opportunity to practice the first spell that he was taught. It was a pretty harmless one called 'Eye of Hearts', which, as the name implied, allowed the caster the ability to see the aura of others if they were feeling passionate or affectionate towards someone or something. As he was noticing, from the pink radiation, all the indicated admirers were showing.

"Having fun there, rusty?" Hurricane broke his concentration as he turned to his left to see her approach him. "Don't get me wrong, I like to keep my mind and body sharp like any other good soldier, but using your new toys on civilians? Doesn't that seem a bit invasive?"

"I could barely consider that a breach of privacy, ma'am," Sharp answered before they both heard a particularly happy fan prancing and bragging to her friends about how she touched the statue. "When you are exposing your love and happiness to the world so publicly, you are practically begging for others to see your aura. A thought that is shared with my classmates," he explained, pointing at other ponies not-so-subtly using the 'Eye of Hearts' as well.

"Ok, point taken," Hurricane nodded before sitting next to him. "So, mind if I join you for a while? There is something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Not at all, ma'am. By all means. Ask me whatever you want," he commented, lowering his book.

"In that case, I will cut right to the chase. What did you mean when you told us that your goals and my pals were the same? Because let me tell you, that is something improbable," she said with a stern voice.

"I'm that transparent?" he asked, not denying anything before sighing and closing his eyes. "Please don't get me wrong, ma'am, I genuinely wish to be of assistance in your endeavor to capture that pony, and I truly came here to study the emotional spectrum to stop him. It was only that my goal isn't going to stop there," he admitted with a hint of embarrassment, gaining the attention of Hurricane who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"As Miss Amber said earlier, my family has been in the arms dealing business for several generations now, ensuring the protection of Equestria. Not only of the crown but the regular citizens as well. As with any good enterprise, the key to staying on top of the market is keeping up with the times." Sharp Shot explained, before pointing at his necklace, he continued, "Take this discovery, for example. Magic directly linked to your emotions and using them to defend and create solid constructs. With a premise like that, the idea of weaponized emotions is almost guaranteed to happen soon after."

"And like any stallion in the arms dealing market, you want to be the pony that brings up the idea first."

"Precisely. But putting aside my own gain, I can guarantee that my intentions are not as malicious as that sounds. I am, in fact, fully aware of how weird this might sound coming from an arms dealer. But the truth of the matter is that I wish to marry a non-lethal ideology to the concept of emotions as weapons to my peers," Sharp Shot said, placing his right hoof on his chest and gaining the attention of Hurricane.

"Come again?" She asked, perplexed by what she just heard.

"What I mean is, even a monkey can shoot to kill anyone, but to incapacitate, an aggressor or an intruder is the equine way. To prevent them from harming you without risking their lives in any way. Now, _there _is an idea worth exploring, especially if it opens the door into a more lucrative enterprise and a faster way to make money, rather than just another lethal weapon," he explained, getting excited as he exposed his project to the Commander.

"You shoot someone, you injure, scar, or kill them. You shoot an arrow of emotions…say an arrow of sorrow or one that blocks them, and your attacker loses their will to fight or resist! No scars, no permanent damage, and a problem solved in the most peaceful of ways, with just the right amount of moral ambiguity of right or wrong, by manipulating others' emotions. And that means bigger market options, worried parents, bachelors concerned about their safety, even police officers! The possibilities are vast and wide!"

"Ok, ok, I get the idea, your planning on getting rich and exploiting a discovery before the competition beats you to it," Hurricane raised her hooves, trying him to bring him down from his hype. "I still don't see how my pals enter into that plan of yours, Rusty."

"Easy. No matter how good of an idea or product you have, without the proper advertisement, it will fail. Now, having two Celestial Centurions using my prototype to apprehend a criminal with charges of attempted regicide? That would be the perfect publicity stunt to put my product on the map."

"Woah, Woah, Woah, prototype?, You already have a prototype?! Didn't you just start learning about emotions today?"

He chuckled at her reaction. "My time as a royal guard has been paying off, ma'am. I have been exploring the concept of these weapons ever since that assassin made his attack. Don't you know? Prepare for any surprise. So far, anything I have in mind is still in the blueprint stage, and I only pitched my idea to Prince Armor a couple of days ago. He and his wife are still discussing the subject. But I assure you once I get the green light and am provided with the proper materials. I will be able to create something that will not only be able to disarm this criminal in the most equine of ways, but it will also revolutionize Equestrian security as we know it, and will drastically drop the number of casualties taken when chasing or subduing criminals," he finishes with a smile.

"You mean _IF_ that prototype works and doesn't blow up in their faces," Hurricane pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Rest assured, that will be the last thing that will happen. Besides my keen eye and professionalism with archery, I'm also an adept inventor when it comes to weapons design and construction. It's a trait that has been ingrained in my family for generations and has ensured our place as the number one arms manufacturer in Equestria for that long. Whatever I build, I do it fast, efficient, and of high quality, even if it is the prototype. If Amber and Stellar were to agree to my help, you can bet that I will put even more passion and attention into the details of this project."

"You want to make this weapon, don't you, Rusty?"

"What can I say, we never stop being soldiers ma'am, we live on the battlefield. Combat is in our blood, I simply wish to evolve it into something more civilized" He answered with a sly smile, unsettling Hurricane significantly and giving her a shiver.

_What the heck is the deal with this colt, and that smile? Sure he's a slimeball, but as much as I hate to admit it. His logic seems on point, and other than wanting to make a quick buck, he doesn't seem all that bad. Is this what the Rookie was telling me about, the 'sharks' in the world of business?_

"I hope that helps clear the air Commander. Sure, I seek personal gain as well. But I genuinely wish to be of help hunting down this assassin. Heck, I would gladly volunteer to join on the hunt for his head, but as Amber said, that is a sensitive mission. And as much as I hate to say it, I'm a civilian now. Besides, for the looks on their faces and their flop in the first class, something tells me that they are not exactly looking for a negotiator. Am I right?"

"Ah, so you saw it too, then?"

"As I said, you never stop being a soldier, and if there something we know is when one has a desire for the hunt."

"And yet, you want to offer them an opportunity to use a weapon that will not hurt their prey?"

"Who says that it won't hurt?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, surprising the Commander as he smirked maliciously. "As I said, it is still in their development stages, and I plan to build a ballista. It will not leave scars, and I fully intend for it to be used to disarm and stun, but until I find a material that can replace it, an arrow is an arrow."

He then stood up and dusted himself off. "Thank you for your time, Commander, but I'm afraid I have some business to attend to myself, and it appears that our friends will not be joining us today. If you see them, please tell them what we discussed and to think it over. I'm sure that with my help, they can speed things along greatly. But of course, the decision is ultimately theirs."

He turned around and started to walk away. "It was a pleasure talking with you, Commander. Perhaps if there is a next time, we could exchange war stories. For my part, I'm particularly intrigued by the campaign you carried out against the Caribou during your five-year tour in Equestria."

_And of course, he would know about one of the more gruesome and grueling fights I had while I was still alive._

"Maybe next time, Rusty," The Commander replied with a practiced smile as she waved at him goodbye. It was only after Sharp Shot had finally left did she allow herself to relax and sigh.

_This stallion gives me the creeps. One moment he's a clean-cut business stallion. The next, he's a fan wanting to hear my most gory of stories. Seriously, Rusty, what the hay is the deal with you? _

Later that night

"After that, I went to find Shining Armor and did some digging around in the royal library and the archives on Sharp Shot. Everything seemed in order while he was a Royal Guard, but things seemed to go downhill after he became a Wonderbolt." Hurricane explained to her friends while comparing notes in their hotel room.

"I know about that. He was brought up for a dishonorable discharge for refusing to obey the chain of command and started training cadets in aerial combat after they declined his idea of turning the Wonderbolts into a more active militarised force. There wasn't enough evidence to convict him, and a psychology test revealed some mild dissociative disorder, typical for ponies after a war concluded, so they were easy on him in the trail. According to his claims, he 'only wanted to prepare and explore different alternatives in case of a new war.' He was forced to some vacation time at the suggestion of the princesses, and was placed as a drill sergeant where they believed his services could be of better use for the crown."

"Sunshine! Of course, you did that" Hurricane told no one as she brought her hoof to her face. "Always giving everyone a second chance."

"Well, it looks like it worked, because he fit right in as a drill sergeant. Some cadets complained of him pushing them too far, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and after two years, he simply decided to retire for good and didn't re-up." Amber concluded reading the report, looking at the papers before looking at her friends. "According to him, his body was getting too old, and he wanted to spend the remnants of his life peacefully, so no one had any objections to his retirement. But everyone thought that, when he said that, he meant a house on the beach to spend his life, not taking over his family business."

"What about his family?" Hurricane asked, looking at some other papers.

"Divorced, with three children of his own, two pegasi and one unicorn, all males and none involved in the royal guard or any similar lines of work. It looks like his ex-herd thought that he was a workaholic and wasn't exactly father material, so they split with the mares taking the children. Other than that, it doesn't seem like he has any other family left. Overall it seems like he just got married to his job as an arms dealer, ma'am," Amber concluded, putting the papers down.

"Yeah, I got the same vibe when I was talking with him earlier, right up until the end when he wanted to hear a very nasty tale about what happened to me while I was serving Equestria," Hurricane grunted in frustration and put the papers down in annoyance. "Damn it. I simply don't understand that stallion. From all accounts, he is perfectly fine, but with a past like that, I was expecting something more aggressive and violent, 'specially with the dishonorable discharge. Ponies like those don't just give up an idea like that so easily."

Stellar floated another piece of paper, showing his psychological evaluation. "Right, therapy helped, I get it. Maybe that influenced him, but either that was one hell of a doctor, or that stallion is fooling us."

"Regardless, everything is out in the open, and even if he had any other ulterior motives, this invention of his could be useful," Amber voiced her opinion, surprising Hurricane.

"You are pulling my tail right now, right? Are you considering his offer?"

"Only as a last resort and with the approval of Princess Cadence. Stellar and I never intended to extend our visit any longer than necessary, and our objective was to study and find ways to counter this assassin's magic. If Sharp Shot can truly give us something that can do just that, then that could speed up our progress dramatically."

Stellar nodded in agreement.

"Just like you said, this is not a pleasure trip, ma'am, we are on a mission here. And as such, we need to make use of every advantage available." She told Hurricane with determination. "Besides, if Sharp Shot is truly plotting something, it would be wise to keep a close eye on him, don't you agree?"

Hurricane only sighed in defeat. "I can't argue with that logic" She then pointed at the two of them. "I just hope you two know what you are doing, and don't let the mission make you lower your guard."

"Don't worry, ma'am, we won't, this is what we have trained for." Amber answered before Stellar poked her side, seeking her attention before showing her necklace. "Yeah, I know, I haven't forgotten about that either. We still need to retake our emotion test and see where they place us. So we are stuck here until then. So until and only IF Sharp Shot could truly show us a functional prototype for us to use, the plan remains the same." They both looked out of the window. "As well as doing a lot of soul searching," she said, looking back at the CD the doctor gave her in the afternoon, not noticing that her friend doing the same toward some earplugs on the nightstand.

Meanwhile Back in Canterlot

It was a stormy and rainy night on the Canterlot castle, and the prince was finishing up pouring some tea into two small porcelain cups while an assortment of candles illuminated the room around him. " Again, I'm so sorry we have to meet so late at night, with the weather as bad as it is right now, I must insist that you stay the night." He picked up the sugar bowl and added two scoops to each cup "Believe me, I fully intended to contact you as soon as I returned after everything had calmed down. But with the whole duel, the trial, the safeguarding of the money, discussions about the criminals…it was a circus and a half. Trust me, I made you dodge an arrow there, the last thing you wanted was to be caught in the crossfire of all that mess." the prince joked as he uses his magic to levitate both cups and turns around.

"And then, my aunts decided to press me into learning about good manners and proper etiquette for weeks before I could even do anything else. Thank god I still have my notes," he mumbled the last part mostly to himself as he advanced. Thunder and lightning rumbled outside, occasionally illuminating the room even more.

"That is partly why neither of my aunts aren't here now. I tried explaining, but they were still up to their necks in documents and royal decrees that needed their immediate attention. But I don't think they will have any issue with me inviting you over. After all, you are a very close friend of the family."

He sat down and then realized that he hadn't let his guest utter a single word for a while now. " and I have just been complaining and rambling about myself for a while, haven't I?" Rather than answering, his guest merely smirked and nodded a couple of times.

"Sorry, it's just that I still feel bad for not contacting you, and I know this sounds like an excuse, but I wanted things to be in order before I start any of my plans. God knows I have been patient enough," he mumbled angrily, the last part making him look to the side with a glare before returning to his guest.

"I will stop now, that is not the reason you are here," he placed one cup on the table while he admired his reflection in the other. "The reason why I asked you to come is…well, ever since my exile, I have had a lot of time to think about what you said about my family, and to be frank, I wish to learn more about my parents. I even plan to visit their tombs tomorrow with my aunts, and I'm sure they will be happy if you could join us too. Before I start living up to my title there are a lot of things I want to put in order, and one of them is having some closure." he extended the cup to his guest, "and I would love it if you could be a part of that, so what do you say, miss?"

"Blueblood, my dear child, nothing would make me happier than to accompany you, it will be my honor to be part of your life once more." his guest responded while taking the cup with her wings and taking a small sip from it, "and stop it with the 'miss' as I told you at the masquerade, you can call me Aunty Tempo." the mare in question answered him. At the same time, a particularly close bolt of lightning bathed the entire room with light showing the pegasus as she smiled at her god-nephew.

At that exact moment in Celestia's office, the monarch of the day stood up from her bed with a start, feeling a cold sweat making its way on her back and looking as she just witnessed a ghost. "Something horrible just happened..." she exclaimed out loud as yet another flash of lightning illuminated her entire room.


	65. Respect For The Departed

**Respect To The Department **

The tension was palpable among the royal sisters as they watched from a distance. They could see Blueblood spending some alone time with his god-aunt Tempo. Who, after placing a bouquet of white carnations on the graves of Blueblood's parents and sharing a couple of stories about them with the Prince, politely asked the sisters for a moment alone with him, telling them that there were a couple of things she wanted to discuss with him alone. Naturally, Celestia was opposed to the idea, but after some coaching from Luna, she reluctantly agreed and gave the two of them a moment to talk.

Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl as Celestia kept watching Tempo like a hawk as she spoke with her nephew. She could feel the mare taunting her somewhat as she occasionally looked back at her with a smirk and even going so far as to place her right wing on the Prince's back for support as they kept chatting. It was an act that was in Celestia's mind, only reserved to her, Luna and Cadence.

_Oh no, she didn't!_

"I am sure that that is enough time those two have had," Celestia proclaimed and started to march forward until Luna placed her hoof in front of her, halting her sister's advance.

"Come on, Celly, just let those two have their moment. There is a lifetime of catching up between them," Luna argues in pity. "Regardless of the history that you two might share, Crossfire Tempo has the right to be a part of Blueblood's life, just as you and I do."

Celestia could only grumble and look to the side in frustration. "I don't know if she still deserves that privilege."

"Seriously, Tia, what happened between you two? What caused you to have such little faith towards that mare?" Luna questioned the perplexity of her sister's behavior.

"Because that mare became all that I have learned to despise in the noble class," Celestia was quick to answer before sighing in shame and lowering her head in disappointment. "That mare was once one of the greatest captains the Wonderbolts ever had. A pegasus of action that wouldn't think twice about getting her hooves dirty and was the perfect example of a teammate. But after her accident, she changed to the point that I couldn't recognize the mare I once knew, and my nephews trusted with the lives of their offspring. At first, I blamed myself for the change, but then..."

She trailed off as she looked at Luna, who brought her hoof to her face, "You pampered her while recovering, didn't you?"

"This one wasn't my fault! The mare couldn't even move, for pony's sake, Luna! So I hired a couple of nurses and ONE butler to assist in her recovery. I didn't go overboard, I swear. Sure, I was concerned and let her stay in the palace, and I made sure that Blueblood visited her as often as possible. But that was it; she never was treated any differently than other injured subjects." Celestia defended herself before continuing. "I might have even been a tad bit more strict in her recovery sessions and made sure she didn't skip any of them."

Luna looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not wholly believing her sister but was willing to give her a chance to explain herself. "Go on."

"Everything was going well right until her flying lessons started. According to her trainer, she was in perfect condition and ready to fly again, but each time she tried, her wings went stiff and refused to move. Like some sort of defense mechanism when trying to lift off, revealing that her mind was not completely healed from the accident."

"I see. That must have been a terrible experience for her," Luna commented, bringing her right hoof to her chin in thought.

"That's the thing. I'm not sure she even realized or cared about her situation. Sure, she told me how frustrated she was being grounded, but when the doctor told her, Tempo took the news rather well, calmly even. It was like a part of her didn't care about flying anymore, and she didn't even make an effort to seek professional help to fix it. Each time I tried to encourage her or even asked why she didn't want to look into the problem, she only replied by telling me, 'I'd rather not do it.'" Celestia recalled the event getting more emotional by the second. "Poor Spitfire, when Tempo announced her early retirement, I swear I saw that little filly's heart break in two. The old Tempo was her hero, and she saw her crash and burn."

"A sorrowful story indeed," Luna nodded in agreement.

"After that, you can start blaming me for getting my hooves in her life a little bit. She was still Blueblood's guardian and was currently unemployed, so I extended my invitation to live in the palace even more and even offered her a sum of bits for her to start again when she felt ready. Having her help raising Blueblood was more than welcome."

Luna's eyes widened in realization. "Sister, you are not saying…?"

Her fears were only confirmed when Celestia merely nodded. "Just like Blueblood, she slowly started to make ridiculous requests and use him as a tool to obtain them. She didn't have much power to order ponies around, but her god-nephew did. She took full advantage of that fact. She practically taught him how to behave around others."

"And molded him into the narcissistic manipulating brat we knew." Luna whispered, looking at the mare in question. "She is the one that created that monster. That is the root of your anger toward her, no, it is more than just that, you are concerned that she might try to repeat it, am I right?"

"That is only half of the issue, sister, but yes, it is a big chunk of the problem. Part of me is happy that her time in exile has humbled her somewhat, and so far, she hasn't been demanding anything and only seems set on earning my forgiveness. Though, after what she did to make me exile her…that would take more time."

"What did she do?" Luna asked now intrigued by the story, but once again before Celestia could explain, the mare in question approached the two with a sigh before looking at Celestia. "Blue asked me if you could talk with him in private for a moment or two."

"Just me?" Celestia asked, pointing at herself as Tempo nodded. "He said something about feeling in another body and said that you could help while Princess Luna and I chat a little," she explained before looking at the mare in question. "Which I think it's a good idea, as my god-child told me, this is an opportunity for us to get to know each other better and I don't think we have had the pleasure of meeting yet, Princess Luna."

"It is a perfectly valid point," Luna nodded in agreement. "And I have a couple of questions I have meaning to ask since I was informed of your connection with our family. Mainly how did you and Bluebloods parents meet in the first place?"

"Isn't that ironic? Blueblood asked me the same thing, earlier." She then glared at Celestia. "One might think his supposed _Grand_ Aunt would have tried to help a family member remember as much of his past as possible, but I imagine talking about his parent's circle of friends was simply too low on the list," she spat at Celestia with a voice full of venom. Even Luna was impressed by the bravery of the mare, pointing out her sister's age.

_She is brave I will give her that_

Luna mentally praised her before stopping Celestia from turning Tempo into ashes by placing her hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "Just go to our nephew, sister. I will take it from here," Luna instructed her, pointing at Blueblood with her head while he kept staring at the graves.

Celestia only sighed to calm down before nodding. "Not that you would ever believe me, but I truly intended to introduce you two, maybe not immediately but eventually. I would have done that," she defended herself before leaving.

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe, _Princess._" Tempo retorted as she kept glaring at Celestia. At that moment, Luna could practically taste the resentment both mares were feeling toward each other as Celestia approached her nephew while Tempo turned to regard her with a calm smile. As the ruler of the night considered the mare before her, while she was willing to listen and give her a chance, Luna was ready to stay alert and weigh all of her actions in case the mare in question may have any ulterior motives.

Once Celestia reached Blueblood, her maternal alarms started to flare. She could detect the signs of fatigue and fear in Blueblood. It was clear that he didn't have a peaceful rest the night before. At first, she laughed it off, thinking it mere stress of seeing his parents, but now she was sure that it was more than just that. Something else was bothering and happening to Blueblood, and her concern slowly grew as a result.

Rather than voice her presence outright, the princess decided instead to simply sit next to Blueblood and look at the graves herself, which consisted of two simple marble plates with a steel plaque on top wherein a gold inscription was etched. _**Here lies Royal Treatment/ Formal Attire, friends, husband/wife, loving parents, and beloved members of the royal family.**_

It was just as she had instructed for their funeral. A single tear ran down her left cheek as she paid her respects to them in silence, remembering the scar that their departure left on her heart.

"Do you miss them?" Blueblood asked while keeping his gaze on his parents.

"Always. I know full well that they are resting in peace with the rest of my family, and despite being gone, their spirits keep watch over us. Though, there are days where I look at the stars and think about what a shame it is that Equestria will never be able to taste Royal's special royal strawberry tarts ever again," Celestia said with a small smile, earning a low chuckle from the Prince.

"My dad knew how to cook?"

"When you are a food critic for so long, you pick up a thing or two, nephew. Just as how Formal Attire knew her way around a needle and could easily give Rarity a run for her bits making dresses, as well as giving her opinion," Celestia replied finally looking at Blueblood, "I dare to say, if she was still around, Rarity might have done everything in her power to become her apprentice. She was just that skillful at her job. Oh, the stories I could tell you of how many times she convinced me to be the model of her latest creations." she recalled with fondness as she extended her wing and covered Blueblood back in an improvised blanket. "I still wonder how she did it," she confessed in honest surprise.

"They were prideful, arrogant, and loved to talk about themselves for hours, but all there gloating was well earned and always had as much advice as criticism. A bit of an annoyance at times, but their hearts were always in the right place, and I loved them all the same."

"They sound like incredible ponies, with flaws sure, but very passionate about their jobs," Blueblood said, smiling in pride as he tried to hide his unease, yet Celestia saw right through that and wouldn't allow it.

"What is in your mind, dear?" she asked with a voice of concern, making it clear that it would be pointless for Blueblood to lie, so with a sigh, he dropped the act and simply told the truth.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. Right now, my head is a swirl of mixed feelings and conflicting thoughts. At peace for getting to meet my parents, happy to obtain an incredible family, thankful for hearing so many stories about them…" the Prince recalled with a smile for a moment before turning that expression into sadness "…; guilty for taking over his life, determined to prove myself worthy of being their son and a prince, fearful of what I did and I might do to the kingdom," he confessed lowering his head before raising it in determination.

"But if I truly want to be Blueblood, I need to do this. I need to come clean and pay my respects to them…to his parents," Blueblood said the last part in a whisper. "I need to apologize, and promise them that…God, I don't even know where to start!" he brought his right hoof to his face in frustration.

"It's ok, Nephew, there's no need to force yourself," Celestia nuzzles his side in an attempt to soothe his worries as the Prince tried to calm himself. "Just take a deep breath and speak from your heart," she couched him with a warm smile. "I told you before, and I will tell you as many times as you need to hear it. Royal and Formal would have loved to have you in their lives, and I'm sure that if they were here, they would be grateful that you continue their legacy and that of their son." She ended by cleaning some tears forming in his eyes.

"Thanks, Auntie," Blueblood nodded and sniffed once before looking at her. "I needed that."

"Anytime, and if you still need more time, I will understand completely. Luna and I will be there when you are ready."

"It's ok, auntie. I'm ready now," he claimed before turning his attention back at the graves. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the Prince prepared himself before speaking to them. "Mom, Dad, I know that this conversation might sound a bit weird…because it is. Me having a human soul, I'm not entirely sure if we are family or not, not to mention that the original Blueblood…is gone forever. And no one will ever know it." the Prince confessed in shame as he felt Celestia's hoof on his shoulder, giving him the strength to continue.

"I can't change what happened or do anything about it, regarding where he ended up. But I can and will honor his memory and continue his legacy as if it was my own. This is in no way an excuse or request for taking over his life, but rather, it's my way of thanking him for letting me have a second chance at life. So, with the princess as my witness, I promise you that I will ensure that the name Blueblood will not end up as infamous in the books of history," Blueblood solemnly swore at the graves of his parents before stepping back.

"Are you feeling better?" Celestia asked him in concern, placing a wing on his back.

"Not really," Blueblood answered, letting go of a breath he was holding while keeping his head low before raising it and looking at her with bags under his eyes and a weak smile. "But it's a start. At the very least, I said my peace and paid my respects. Do you think it will be enough for them?" he asked, turning his attention to the graves, Celestia sensing his worries and fatigue.

"I'm sure they will," Celestia replied with a warm smile. "And who knows? Perhaps my nephew will manage to weasel his way out of Tartarus and into his mother's hooves."

That last comment caught the Prince by surprise as he looked back at her. "Is that even possible?"

"Others have managed to escape before, and if I knew Blueblood…the original Blueblood, I mean, its that he was incredibly crafty and clever in the face of adversity. It's a real shame he used those gifts to avoid responsibility. But on the other hoof, if any pony could be able to outwit demons and monsters and find a way out, it's him. Not to mention that he will not be alone in his endeavor," Celestia added, pointing at Formal Attire's grave. "Never underestimate the willpower of a doting mother, dear. Never."

"Tartarus hath no fury like a concerned mother?" He asked with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow.

"Precisely." The princess nodded. "Hopefully that helps ease your concerns."

"It does a little actually, but it will still take time before the guilt goes away completely." Blueblood then sighed and started to walk back to the group, but stops when he notices his aunt had not moved. "Are you coming, Auntie?"

"Just a second, there is something I would like to tell them as well," She says before addressing the grave.

"Despite what happened, I just wanted to tell you that I care and will continue to love and protect your son as if he was my own. And whoever did this to your son, I will seek them, I will find them, and I will make them regret the day that they ever thought about hurting my family." Celestia said, shedding another tear before turning around and joining Blueblood.

"Thank you."

Both royals froze as they just barely perceived an audible female whisper behind them, yet when they look at the graves, there was nothing there.

"A-Auntie, tell me that you also…"

"...Some things are better left alone, dear," Celestia interrupted him as she pushed Blueblood forward. "Let us just not think about it too much,"

After that, they both returned to Luna and Tempo, who were in the middle of a conversation, or rather, some kind of interview where Luna kept asking questions for the pegasus to answer.

"…afterwards we sort of just kept in contact with one another and soon our chats stopped becoming random subjects and topics to pass the time. Eventually, we became close friends." Tempo ended her story with a smile.

"I see, who would have thought that everything was started by a business proposition to increase the popularity of a restaurant," Luna mentioned with honest fascination. However, Celestia could see that Tempo hadn't won her over just yet, and Luna was still on guard with the mare.

"Heh, just like Twily always says, friendship can bloom at any moment, in any place," Blueblood voiced their presence with a smile as the two mares looked back at them.

"Ah, Bluey, dear! How did it go? Were you able to say your piece to your parents?" Tempo asked with a raised eyebrow, quickly approaching him until Celestia got in between them.

"He did, and all it took was a bit of encouragement from a caring aunt," Celestia tells her with a forced smile, something that Tempo soon copied as both mares kept chuckling at one another.

"Isn't it that right? How fortunate for my nephew to have such a wise and knowledgeable member in the family," Tempo replied as they kept laughing at one another rather forcefully. At the same time, Blueblood snuck away to approach Luna and whisper in her ear.

"And that is exactly why I didn't want to leave those two alone," he confessed.

"Nephew, why in the name of all my stars did you invite Crossfire Tempo if you knew that it would lead to _this?_" Luna whispered back at him.

"Because Aunt Tempo is part of the family too, and it's not fair, excluding her just because of something that happened between her and aunt Celestia. Don't we all deserve a second chance? We of all people should know about that. Right, Aunt Luna?"

"Oh, nephew, are you sure you know what you are doing?" Luna voiced her concern, surprising Blueblood.

"What are you implying?" Blueblood questioned her with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean that I applaud your intentions and your willingness to give her a chance, but this might not be a good idea. I know my sister better than anyone else, and I know that there are very few ponies that have earned her spite. If that mare is one of them, then bridges burnt might be beyond repairable."

"So, you're saying that you are taking Aunt Celestia's side?" Blueblood questions her as his anger starts to rise. Celestia and Tempo's discussion prevented either of them from noticing the two.

"I'm not taking any sides, nephew, what I'm telling you is to be careful."

"Be careful. So even now, you still don't trust me?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, we trust you. Dear, it's Tempo, the one we still don't know if we trust or not," Luna defended herself.

"Then why don't you put a tracking spell on her too?" Blueblood sarcastically replied, taking Luna by surprise.

"You thought that I wouldn't question how the royal guards managed to spot me without any doubt and prepared the teleportation so quickly despite my face being covered? I let it slide because I convinced myself that you did it because of love. Now I'm wondering if that tracker was from an issue of trust," Blueblood questioned her with a glare before holding his head in pain.

Luna tried to help when he momentarily lost his balance, but he refused her aid and kept glaring at her. "You know, before you start judging and taking others for grated, you should consider their feelings and give thema chance to defend themselves. We wouldn't want a repeat of the…" Blueblood stopped himself the moment he saw Luna's expression and of how she was on the verge of tears, forcing him to question himself and look down in shame and thought. "What am I saying?"

"Nephew, what is happening to you?" Luna asked in worry.

"I'm sorry Aunty I don't know what came over me I'm just…so tired," he confessed, holding his face not in pain but rather in fatigue. "There is so much on my mind, and I'm so stressed." Once he was done rubbing his temples, he looks back at her. "Just give her a chance, auntie. She has been kind to me. I don't want to split my family now," he begged her more calmly. "Plus…what I did in Manehattan, all those kingpins I defeated. I'm praying that this is just me been paranoid, but if a member of his family or group seek my revenge well…Aunt Tempo doesn't have my cousins magic, or a castle and army to protect herself, she would be the obvious choose to get to me, and if anyone would dare…I-I wouldn't be able to forgive myself"

"…ok," Luna finally relinquished after sighing in defeat. "For you, I will give her a chance," she replied with a smile.

"And that is all I ask of you." Blueblood nodded with a weak smile before looking back at the two arguing mares. "We'd better stop them if we want to save the rest of our day off, right? The day is young, and there are still a lot of things I want us to talk about. Like what is that Nightmare Night thing I keep hearing about in the castle now days?" Blueblood wonders as he goes to break the bickering mares apart.

Luna looked at him in concern as she felt the dreadful yet familiar feelings of anger and resentment emanate from her nephew.


	66. Tempo's Plan

**Tempo's Plan**

Soon after leaving the cemetery and at the recommendation of Luna, the royal family decided to take a small stroll on the city. In hopes of enjoying each other's company and lifting their moods a bit more after their somber trip to such a grim place.

Said suggestion, of course, had more meaning to it than just that. Although she wanted to lift everyone's spirits, the princess also wanted to put a stop to the constant passive-aggressive sniping between Crossfire Tempo and her sister and force the two into a situation where they would be more civilized with one another. This had the added bonus of allowing her to focus her attention on Blueblood and a rising concern and fear forming in her heart. Judging by her nephew's sudden and unusual outburst back at the cemetery, it reminded her of a time she yearned to put behind her for good. An ironic sense of deja-vu considering what festivities were fast approaching, judging by the types of decorations that had been placed everywhere they looked. Spider webs, children were purchasing costumes, pumpkins, skeletons, and expensive, spooky costumes for both kids and adults were on sale as far as their eye could see. Yep, Nightmare Night was fast approaching, and Luna feared that her evil counterpart would make more than just an appearance this year.

"This is what you wanted us to see, right?" Tempo's sudden presence broke Luna's concentration as she looked back at her. Somehow, all her worries and focus on Blueblood spaced her out long enough to notice now that Celestia had gone ahead of them with Blueblood, most likely to explain the meaning of the festivities and how it came to be, earning his full attention as Luna and Tempo stayed behind.

"Excuse me?" Luna looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"The signs of fatigue, the clear lack of sleep, the occasional discharge of his horns. My god-nephew, for some reason, is pushing himself ragged, and you wanted us to see it, right?" Tempo replied in shame. "To subtly tell us that something bad is happening and we need to see the bigger issue. Am I right, princess Luna?"

"… It's a nice departure from your present hostility, yes," Luna eventually decided to play along before looking at Blueblood. "And just as you said, something seems to have drained all the energy from him."

"Or somepony," Tempo suggested keeping an eye on Celestia, ignoring how Luna shared her thoughts although her focus was on a different mare entirely.

"Ms. Tempo, per the request of my nephew, and as someone that has made mistakes before, I'm genuinely willing to give you a chance to be a part of our family, but to do that I must implore you, please refrain from voicing your hostility toward my sister." Luna told her while regarding the mare with a glare. "At this current time, there are more pressing matters than your little feud."

In response, Tempo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course, there is always a catch, can't we just exclude Celestia from this? I'm sure between the two of us we could fix…"

"Not. For. Discussion," Luna responded coldly with an intense glare. Yet rather than being angry, Tempo seemed unnaturally emotionless, catching the Princess by surprise with her lack of emotion until she replied with another roll of her eyes.

"Fine, as long as it is for the good of my god-nephew, I will try to hold my tongue as much as I can. But I will respond in kind for anything she starts," Tempo acquiesced.

"I suppose that will have to do. For now, we should talk with my sister since you share our same worries, and so we can all think of a way to help my nephew."

_And I pray the stars we won't require the elements to do so_

"Sounds good to me, I will keep Blue busy while you tell her that."

"What? Wait that is not what I meant…and she is already gone," Luna tried to argue, but by the time she had formed a sentence, Tempo was already heading toward Blueblood and Celestia.

_Ok, now I'm starting to see the mannerisms my nephew used to have._

Luna sighed in irritation before deciding just to follow Tempo's lead, to avoid escalating or starting another conflict as they approached the royals.

"Seriously? You offer her candy, or she will gobble you up?" Blueblood questioned with a raised eyebrow. "That is how the legend goes now? Were there ponies that ate meat back then? How do you trade meat for candy? And…how was that supposed to help everyone remember Aunt Luna?"

"Yes, I know, I know," Celestia did her best to calm him down with a nervous chuckle. "I didn't plan for my objective to derail as much as it did. Honest to the stars, I intended to seek out a way for my little ponies to keep the memory of my sister alive. The festivities were originally just a normal party at night, where ponies would remember her work and play games out of respect for her memory. Yet the memory of Nightmare Moon made things harder to start…so I added small rumors that if you eat candy and cover your face, Luna would come instead of Nightmare Moon. And you know how things are with rumors, the more they spread, the more is added or changed. I honestly was happy that my ponies started to embrace the celebration properly, but by the time I heard what happened with my rumor, it was already too late, and I didn't have the heart to correct my subjects."

"It still would have been great if you had told me about those 'changes' on my first Nightmare Night, sister," Luna interjected with a small glare at her.

"I have already apologized, and I was going to, but then you ran off to Ponyville before I could finish the story!" Celestia defended herself.

"Ladies, ladies, please don't fight. What happened back then was just another example of pony error," Tempo quickly intervened, placing herself in between the two. "It could happen to any of us, dear. Your aunt had the best of intentions; what happened was simply leaving an idea open for interpretation," she commented, surprising Celestia with her change of attitude. "Isn't that right, princess?"

"Yes…that is exactly what happened, just an issue of miscommunication," Celestia replied, looking at her in confusion.

"Let just think of it as water under the bridge and instead enjoy the rest of the day. After all, Nightmare Night is just a week away! Wouldn't it be nice if we all celebrated it together?"

"That sounds pretty nice. I would like that very much," Blueblood replied with a smile.

"Ahm…" Celestia tried to say anything, but Tempo interrupted her.

"Excellent! Then it's a deal then. I will extend my stay in the castle so we can all celebrate the festivities!"

"Now, wait just a moment!" Celestia tried to protest, but Tempo was already leaving, talking with the Prince as she held one of his hooves.

"Oh, look, Blue! That is caramel covered cotton candy; your mother used to love those. Would you like to see how it tastes?"

"Well…"

"Great! Let's get some!" Tempo answered for him, and the two went to get the mentioned candy leaving Celestia blinking at the interaction.

"What in Tartarus just happened?" she asked her sister as Luna approached her from the right.

"I think Tempo just played us both, but we can deal with that later. For now, there is a much more pressing matter to be attended to," Luna immediately answered with urgency, "Mainly Blueblood's fatigue."

Celestia sighed the moment she heard that. "I know what you mean. Ever since we left the graveyard, I have been wondering what left him so exhausted. Do you think there is something else that he hasn't told us yet?"

"Honestly, sister, I'm starting to fear the cause of his fatigue might be something not even he is aware of," Luna replied in worry, earning Celestia's undivided attention. "Tia. I pray to the stars that I'm exaggerating, but I worry that his tampering with my moon might be the cause of his affliction."

Celestia's eyes went wide at the revelation. "You aren't thinking that…?"

Luna nodded before she could finish that thought. "For now, it's just a feeling that I have, but back at the graveyard when we were talking, I felt the presence of Nightmare Moon in him. Or rather, I felt the same bitterness, anger, and jealousy I had a thousand years ago."

"Are you sure?"

"Tia, I drowned in those emotions. When the 'incident' happened, trust me. The sensation is something that you never forget. And that is precisely what I felt coming from him." Luna then looked back at Blueblood and Tempo, buying four cotton candies. "Not to mention that his mood has been taking a turn for the erratic for some time now."

"And most of that occurs after sunset!" Celestia exclaimed, bringing a hoof to her forehead. "How could I have been so blind?!"

"We were neck-deep in paperwork, sister. Of course, we would have a hard time noticing those changes. What is important, however, is that we are seeing them now, and there is time yet left to prevent them." Luna placed her right hoof on her sister's shoulder to comfort her. "But we need to act quickly."

Celestia nodded and looked back at her. "You are right, sister, there is still time."

"And I have an idea of what we can do, but we will need the assistance of Crossfire Tempo."

"What?! Luna, you can't possibly be…" Celestia tried once again to argue, but Luna would not have any of that as she quickly pressed her hoof over Celestia's mouth.

"She is just as concerned, and she can give us the distraction we need. As long as she keeps Blueblood calm and happy, helping him will be a thousand times easier." she listed off with a small glare. "And she promised me that she would behave as long as you do the same. So…will you be the bigger pony, Tia?" Luna inquired with a raised eyebrow as she let her sister speak again.

"Does she know that Nightmare Moon might be involved?"

"No."

Celestia thought it over before sighing in defeat and nodded a couple of times in agreement. Right on time, Blueblood and Tempo returned with their confectionaries plus two extra for the Princesses.

"Sorry it took us so long, the peasant took his sweet time with each cotton candy," Blueblood replied, turning aggressive all of a sudden and taking Celestia by surprise. Not only that, but she could see his eyes growing reptilian for a brief second.

'_Deep breath, sister. I know, this is something I too have noticed._' Luna quickly explained to Celestia via a mental link as Blueblood looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Something wrong, Aunt?"

"Oh, it's just that it has been a while since I could have this flavor. They usually ran out very quickly," the solar diarch replied with a nervous laugh before taking a bite. Luckily that was enough to convince Blueblood, who shared a laugh.

"We came right in time; these were the last four they had. So, where would you like to go next?"

"Actually, sweetie, if it is ok with everyone, I had a place in mind for all of us" Tempo quickly spoke up before guiding everyone to their destination.

At that moment in a high-class spa in the city.

"Oh…oh my! R-Rarity are you sure you can pay for all of this?" Fluttershy asked her friend with a concerned voice as she finished reading the cost of every treatment on a menu.

"Why absolutely, dear! I told you, in exchange for my services filling Fleur De Lis's next autumn wardrobe, taking care of her disguise for this Nightmare Night and a…ahemph," Rarity cheeks heated a little as she mumbles the last part "…personal ensemble for special occasions, she gave me a special pass for me and a plus one to have an all expenses-covered treatment in Canterlot's most famous spa. It is ranked number two on the best spas in Equestria and number one with the most decorum and greatest view!" Rarity proclaimed in excitement like a filly on Heart's Warming Eve. "Meaning everything here is free! And I could think of only one mare to share this experience with." She assured Fluttershy while putting on a robe and covering her mane with a towel before offering her a second pair, which she took with her wing.

"After all your help assembling and packing my shipment last night, it was the least I could do, dear. I say that we both have more than earned it!" Rarity finished, picking up the menu to look through the options. "Oh, and look! They have treatments exclusively for pegasi, wing massages, trimming feathers, special salt baths, it almost makes me wish that I had a pair of wings myself," Rarity joked before looking at her friend. "Fluttershy, you simply must treat yourself to the whole package!"

"I don't know, Rarity, this isn't exactly what I usually do. Maybe I should just stay with my usual," Fluttershy timidly replied as they both exited the locker room ready for their treatment.

"Come on, Fluttershy, don't you wish to be pampered at least a little bit? You certainly wouldn't want to miss out on something you might regret!" Rarity said to her friend with a chuckle which Fluttershy soon joined in on as they reached the corner only to be stopped by the last ponies they were expecting to see.

"A spa?" the prince asked, confused while looking around, as Tempo requested a menu to look at the options they had. "Really? This is the best place you could think of? You could have chosen any place in Canterlot to see, and you choose a spa? Wouldn't it be best if we had left this for last? You know? So we could explore the kingdom?"

"Nonsense! Like I always say, if possible, you should never miss the opportunity to pamper yourself," Tempo said with a giggle. "Besides, ever since this morning, you have been nothing but a ball of stress. You _need _this, dear, and I will not take a 'no' for an answer."

That surprised Blueblood as he could feel his anger rising again. "Did you just tell me what to…?

"Blueblood?" The voice of Fluttershy immediately caught his attention as he turned to look at the mare in question.

"F-Fluttershy?" Blueblood turned around to see both her and Rarity approaching.

"Well, hello, darling," Rarity greeted him with a smile and a wave, "It is so good to see you again. It has been ages since last we saw each other."

"It has?" Blueblood questioned out loud before recalling the memory and surprising himself. "Huh, you are not kidding; it has been a while since the whole thing in Manehattan."

"Indeed it has, and not that this isn't a pleasant surprise, but what are you doing here? I didn't take you as one who likes being pampered…well, I mean, I _did _but not the new version of you," she said with a humorous chuckle.

"And what happened to you?" Fluttershy asked, getting closer. "You look…tired," she mentioned in concern as she reached for his face, though stopped when Blueblood backed away in annoyance, much to her surprise.

"It is nothing, just a restless night, that's all," he quickly said, avoiding eye contact before Tempo clearing her throat caught his attention. "Sweetie, aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Oh! That's right. Rarity, Fluttershy, this is my god-aunt Crossfire Tempo, she is here visiting, so we wanted to show her around," Blueblood introduced her following his class on etiquette. "Aunt Tempo, these are…"

"…The heroes of Equestria, Fluttershy, and Rarity," she said with a smile, "I have heard of your exploits. Facing such dangerous foes on a daily basis, you girls must be truly courageous," she praised them with enthusiasm making both mares blush and look away. The act all by itself shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but for some reason, it made Blueblood's heart skip a beat, something that Luna and Celestia took notice of.

_What was that?_

_Who cares! We need to get out of here! To hell with being pampered! We need to…_

"Would you like to join us?" Celestia asked out of the blue, surprising everyone present minus Luna, who understood what she was planning immediately.

"W-What?" Now it was Blueblood's turn to blush as he looked back at her. "Oh no, Auntie, I bet they already had a whole spa day planned. The last thing we want is ruining it for them."

"Nonsense!" Rarity chimed in with a big smile, "I say the more, the merrier! We would love it if you could join us! Not to brag or anything, but I know my way around a spa, so I would be more than happy to guide you if you feel a bit lost, Blueblood."

"Plus, I agree with Miss Shy, Nephew," Luna chips in getting closer. "I held my peace because I thought you didn't want to hear it, but her concerns are true. You look tired and could use something to clear your mind after the whole ordeal we just went through."

"Which is exactly why we insisted on coming here first!" Tempo added, stepping in. "See Blue? Even these lovely ladies see what is on everyone's mind. You are tired and need this before we do anything else," she said with finality.

"She is right, dear," Celestia continued. "I understand you want to explore some more and enjoy the rest of the day with us, but wouldn't you rather we first clear our minds, relax and freshen up?"

"Not to mention that your poor aunt Luna could use a day at the spa too?" Tempo mentioned approaching her.

"I do?" Luna asked, confused, earning an elbow to the ribs.

"Yes, you do…after all, as the princess of the night, aren't you getting tired of being awake so late in the morning?"

"Now that you mention it…yes, I do," Luna commented half-honestly since this was just a trick to get him to sleep, but she also wouldn't deny the fact that she was getting tired. She could use this to get some time to relax and be more alert. This fact was brought home with a not so fake yawn. "I could use a small recharge before we continue our exploring, so what do you say, nephew? For me?" Luna asked him with pleading eyes.

The Prince could only sigh in defeat as he lowered his head. "Fine, for you, auntie." He then went ahead and took one of the menus from the reception. "Yikes! Have you seen these prices? Can we even afford any of this?"

To that, Princess Celestia snorted and chuckled before putting the menu away. "Oh, sweetie, normally I would be against taking advantage of this, but we are royalty. Our presence alone brings in customers." She then pointed to the entrance, where a long line of eager customers was starting to form. "As such, we don't pay. So we can pick the whole package if we want…which I highly recommend so Lulu can have a chance to rest properly."

"Thank you, sister." Luna answered.

"Well, what about you? You really can pay for all of this?" Blueblood asked Rarity and Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow to which Rarity showed him her pass.

"All expenses covered!" she practically sang in her excitement, "We can get pampered with the whole package for free, which we intend to use to its fullest!"

"See? Problem solved," Tempo says before giving Blueblood a towel and a bathrobe before starting to push him until he entered the stallion locker room. "Now go change, dear! There is a whole day of pampering ahead of us!" she exclaimed before she and the princesses went to do the same in the mares locker room.

"A spa day, AND a chat with the Princesses themselves! Can this day get any better?" Rarity questioned before looking at the menu again and suddenly getting worried. "Oh, this place has hot springs, but they are unisex..."

Fluttershy's eyes widened the second she heard that as Rarity turned to look at her.

"Fluttershy, if you don't want to go there, I will…"

"I will do it!" Fluttershy cried out in determination before looking at the receptionist. "I will take the whole treatment package too." She then goes back to Rarity, who looked at her in a mix of confusion and surprise. "You saw how Blueblood looked and acted? He looked scared and tired, the poor thing. He needs our help…so, I suppose I could try some new things this time."

Rarity nods in understanding. "Ah, that explains it. You are right, dear, that poor stallion could use our expertise to help him relax," she said with conviction before chuckling and looking at her friend. "Always the kindness, aren't you, dear?"

Fluttershy could only chuckle nervously and cover her face with her hair to hide the small blush on her cheeks. "Yeah…just a little bit of kindness"


	67. Neither Blood Nor Moon…

**Neither Blood Nor Moon…**

After agreeing to spend time at the spa, the rest of the day became a blur for the prince. At first, he had his reservations with the whole ordeal, but after giving the massage a chance, the prince didn't have any difficulty in letting his worries drift away and was finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet. That was something that, in retrospect, he had desperately needed now that the voice in his head had finally gone away.

Sighing in relaxation while remaining in a secluded corner of the hot springs, Blueblood looked up to the setting sun, no longer caring that the day was spent. His mind was at peace and slowly driving him into slumber.

"Pathetic"

With a start, the Prince opened his eyes and looked around for the source of the distorted voice that had just spoken to him only to find that no one was there, not only that but the entire hot spring also seemed unusually deserted.

"After all your hard work reclaiming your crown and showing your subjects why they should fear and respect you, what do you do? Pamper yourself with luxury and forget all of your promises?!"

The voice kept speaking as Blueblood could make out some shadows moving back and forward around him like a shark circling its prey.

"Who's there?!" Blueblood demanded, getting up and starting to charge his horn in preparation for any attack.

"You ungrateful, spoiled brat! I was wrong about you. I thought you could be better, but in the end, you only created a cardboard copy of your predecessor."

The voice kept taunting him, until from the fog, a silhouette appeared and marched toward him. "And to think I even called you my nephew!"

At that moment, the individual made herself known, and the prince was able to see Princess Luna staring at him with disappointed, milky white eyes. "I wish you had stayed dead"

With a start, the prince woke up and fought to regain his balance as he splashed the water of the hot springs everywhere until he managed to calm down and hold his pounding heart with his right hoof. That, however, left him unable to see the approaching pegasus heading his way.

"Blueblood?"

With a small yelp, the prince turned around only to find a concerned and scared Fluttershy looking back at him with a towel on her head. "Are you ok? You seemed scared a moment ago and I…" she tried to approach him. Still shaken by his ordeal, though, the prince backed away from her.

"I-I'm ok, Fluttershy, just ahem…holding my breath underwater. Yeah, that is it!" he quickly said, looking back at her with a smile, "You probably saw me gasping some air, that is all," he dismissed what happened with a chuckle. "How was your wing massage? Did you enjoy it?"

"Don't try to change the subject," Fluttershy cut him off before he could say anything else. "And please stop lying to me," she pleaded. "Blueblood, I know that something is bothering you, we all see it. And it is clearly more than just lack of sleep." Before he could back away or protest, she grabbed his right hoof with both of hers. "We want to help you, but we can't if you don't let us. Please, Blueblood, just like I trusted you when you guided me during the masquerade, I need you to trust me and tell me what is keeping you so on edge," she made her case and gave him a hopeful smile, maintaining eye contact.

"I…" The prince looked down in shame and sighed, deciding to accept his fate and come clean, unable to think or formulate an excuse, or even having the willpower to do so. "…I don't know what is happening to me," he confessed, looking at Fluttershy again, "A couple of weeks after you and Pinkie Pie left, I started having these random bursts of emotions-" Suddenly the prince had to hold his head as a searing bolt of pain shot through it.

"_What are you doing?!… You fool!… Don't you dare utter another word"_

"Blueblood!" Fluttershy went to his side and placed her wing on his back, leaning his head against her chest as he continued. "Feelings of…anger, jealousy…what is so great about her day anyway?!" The prince had to pause to ride the pain out. "This can't be from Nightmare Moon…it can't …she is my aunt…I met her, she wasn't like that I…I'm fine, I have everything under control," Blueblood mutters under his breath.

"You are anything but fine, Blueblood! You need our help! If you let princess Luna enter your dreams…"

"I said, I'm fine!" Blueblood snapped at her, backing away before being surprised by her expression of anguish and fear. At that moment, the prince realized what he was doing and looked at his reflection, gasping when he saw the image of his aunt looking at him in disappointment. "What is happening to me?" he questioned while Fluttershy slowly approached and gently placed his head against her chest.

"It's ok, Blueblood. I'm here now."

"Fluttershy… I'm so sorry. Please, help me," He begged, looking into her teary eyes.

"We will, Blueblood. I promise."

After some time of Fluttershy comforting him, letting the wave pass, both of them headed into a secluded private room that the princesses reserved explicitly to treat his condition and where the rest of his family and Rarity were now waiting for the two to explain.

"Are you sure this is gonna work Auntie?" Blueblood looked at Luna with a small amount of concern as she performed some breathing exercises.

"Absolutely, dear nephew. The symptoms you have been manifesting so far match the description of a Tantabus," Luna elaborated, not wanting to disclose so much in front of Crossfire Tempo, "A type of creature that wanders the dream realm and creates nightmares in their victims to feed on of their fears… It is also a creation of mine that was designed to act as my penance," Luna mumbles the last part while looking away.

"What was that?" Blueblood raised an eyebrow.

"It is of no importance. Dear, for now, all we need you to do is close your eyes and try to sleep," Celestia instructed him while patting Blueblood's head. "We will take care of the rest after that."

"I don't know, Auntie, I'm tired, yeah, but after what happened in the hot springs and knowing that I might have some sort of parasite that gives me nightmares… I'm not so sure I can sleep that easily," Blueblood replied uneasily, looking unsure while laying on a massage table surrounded by aromatic candles.

"Oh, you will sleep, alright!" Tempo boasted in confidence as she approached with a smirk. "As the owner of the number one spa in Equestria and an expert on the art of rest and relaxation, I can guarantee you will sleep like a baby." Moving another table next to his, Tempo hopped on and didn't waste time into bringing the prince into her barrel using her wing as an improvised blanket and ruffling the feathers of her wings slightly.

The moment that happened, his body was bombarded by a sensation of softness like he had never felt before, and the strong perfume that Tempo was wearing had an unusually calming effect resulting in him fighting a losing battle against drowsiness.

"So…soft…so relaxing," Blueblood managed to utter those words before falling asleep right in front of everyone, surprising the princesses on how quick Tempo managed to accomplish her role.

"There you go, ladies, nice and ready. It's time to use your magic now," Tempo looked back at them with a smile.

"Ah, Miss Tempo, how exactly did you…?"

"Sorry, your highness, that is a trade secret," Tempo said before getting more serious. "For now, there is work to do."

Luna nods and charges her horn to start their work.

Meanwhile, back at the castle

"Ok, let us see what you truly are," Caliber said to the blood sample before he carefully collected a small portion of it. "Nurse!" he called without breaking eye contact with the sample on his wing.

"Right here, Doctor," a blue unicorn mare in nurses garb responded before approaching with a beaker full of a transparent liquid for him to drop the sample in, then heating it using her magic. At the same time, Caliber used a glass laboratory spatula to stir the contents.

In a matter of seconds, the liquid changed colors into a neon hue, and much to their surprise, small white, shining dots imitating a starry night sky appeared. "There you go! Now I found you," Caliber informs the sample as he took note of the changes.

"What is it, doctor?" the Nurse asked him, intrigued by the reaction.

"Ever since the prince's blood turned blue, I was wondering what caused that sudden change and how I was unable to detect it until now," Caliber explained with a smile. "As I suspected, there is residual magic identical to Princess Luna's flowing through his veins.

"Isn't that a bit redundant, Doctor? I mean, he DID absorb magic from the moon itself," the Nurse replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, but therein lies the question, Nurse Radiance. What kind of magic rest on the moon?" Caliber asked her as he retrieved a new sample from the now resting beaker before mounting on a slide and setting that onto the stage of a modified microscope. Besides the rack for samples, the device had a crystal ball surrounding it, and a series of lights spread out underneath. "After all, Princess Luna wasn't the only mare that has been moving it for over a thousand years, right?" Once the sample was placed, Caliber turned on a white light, and the sphere was engulfed in a rainbow of moving colors as he observed the liquid's contents.

"Interesting, it looks like this type of magic is denser than Princess Luna's. Other than that, nothing seems out of order, except…wait…is that?" Suddenly the sample started to screech and turned into a purple mist that began to shake the sphere violently.

"Nurse! Containment!" Caliber instructed in fear as he flapped away just as the sphere cracked, the mist almost reaching his face before being stopped by a force field cast by his assistant.

"Got it!" She moved the whole apparatus towards a containment unit made of metal and reinforced glass before sealing it inside. The mist continued to struggle to get free of the box.

"How…what is that thing?" Radiance asked in fear as Caliber slowly approached it. "Whatever type of magic that is, the moon has it inside its core." His eyes widened in realization. "By Celestia, I know what it is…and it must be consuming the prince as we speak!" He exclaimed in fear as Caliber took another sample and flew away from the infirmary, Radiance in hot pursuit. "What? What is it, Doctor?!" she asks, equally scaredly as she follows behind. But rather than answer, the Doctor just kept frantically searching for the Princesses or a guard that might know where they were.

"Hare! Bunny! Where the hay are those guards?" Caliber kept calling for them as he flew around the castle.

Back at the spa

Tossing and turning Blueblood keeps convulsing as tears keep forming on his eyes "Don't go gently…into the night… no…that is not why I did it! Please…don't…don't leave…I'm sorry!"

Waking up from yet another nightmare, the prince tried to stand up only to feel two hooves on his shoulders, pushing him down once more, followed by a familiar voice speaking to him. "Shhh, it's almost over Blueblood, go back to sleep," Fluttershy tried to calm him down as he stopped struggling once he saw her face and then laid back down on the table.

"Flutter…shy?" the prince said, still half asleep, looking at her, confused, "Are you…crying?" Blueblood raised an eyebrow when he started to see her face more clearly and even hears her sniff.

"Don't be silly dear, why would she be crying?" Rarity asked as he turned to his left and saw her smiling at him. "You're just seeing things, probably from fatigue. Just go back to sleep," she encouraged him while Fluttershy kept petting his head. Blueblood didn't know what was going on or why his friends were acting so strange, but his tired eyes were feeling heavy and more cumbersome until he finally relented and went back to sleep. The second that happened Fluttershy sobbed and looked at the Princess in both worry and anger

"We can't keep doing this to him!" she wailed out in sorrow. "Don't you see he is suffering!?"

"It will be worse if we stop now," Luna replied, ending her spell and massaging her temple while standing up. Although the session put Luna's worries to rest when she didn't find any trace of Nightmare Moon, whatever seemed to be the cause of the prince's affliction was conscious enough to have an advanced sense of self-preservation.

"This Tantabus is quite different from the one I created. Not only has it gained enough power, that it has started to take over his emotions. It can also detect when somepony enters his mind." she sighs with a mix of fatigue and irritation. "I managed to corner it into Blueblood's deep subconscious where it can't cause any more nightmares, but that will not last. The time has come, the parasite has nowhere to escape, I must go one last time and… "Luna's legs trembled before giving out. The alicorn would have hit the ground if not for the intervention of Celestia, who immediately rushed to her sister's side after returning from moving the sun and moon. Putting her neck in front of hers, she managed to catch Luna and help her stay on her hooves. "Looks like I arrived just in time."

"Sister, I have good news. The Tantabus is trapped in Blueblood's subconscious, where it can't haunt him with nightmares anymore. Once I dive in…"

"… I'm sorry, Lulu, but that is not going to happen," Celestia shook her head and guided her to an empty massage table, and despite Luna's complaints, managed to lay her there. "You have been using the same spell to enter into Blueblood's mind too many times already. It is clear that you have reached your limit and are in no condition to make the jump anymore," Celestia tried to convince her while Luna fought her sister trying to stand up, only for Celestia to push her down with a hoof.

"But our window of opportunity…"

"…Will not go to waste," Celestia interrupted her with a determined look, "I will go instead."

"What?" all the mares look at her in surprise.

"Even though this isn't my specialty, I can still cast the spell. You've done enough already, Luna, I can take it from here." Celestia gave her a reassuring smile and tried to turn away, but Luna grabbed one of her hooves.

"Sister, surely you jest! While I appreciate your concern, this isn't like any other dream you have explored before. What you are suggesting is venturing into the deepest and darkest corners of a pony's mind, the most bizarre and unpredictable places in the realm of dreams," Luna warned her, "Do you even have any idea of what could happen if you explore that kind of place without the proper guidance?"

"No, and that is why I need you here doing just that." Celestia countered and then tapped her temple, "With the mental link, we can maintain contact, and you can walk me through what I need to do and be alert of."

Luna looked to the side, considering what Celestia was suggesting, unsure if she should let her do it.

"Please, Luna, trust that I can do this." Celestia pleaded with her. After some more consideration, Luna ultimately sighed and gave a tiny nod before turning to Rarity and Fluttershy.

"On the condition that you take Rarity and Fluttershy with you."

The mares in question looked at her in surprise once she said that.

"They have some experience in dealing with this sort of thing before, and they can help you catch the Tantabus," Luna explained, "Plus, the three of you can keep each other in check if any of you start to lose focus."

"You can count with us, Princess," Rarity nodded with determination.

"Even though the idea of going into the deepest, darkest, and scariest place in his mind is something I would prefer to avoid." Fluttershy shivered at the idea alone before gulping and looking at her in determination. "But if it helps Blueblood, we will gladly help."

"It is decided then. Ms. Tempo and I will stay here and will keep you posted on any developments. Be on your guard and tread carefully, remember that once inside, the Tantabus will know you are there and will do everything in its power to trick you and escape," Luna instructed them as both mares got closer to Celestia, who keep looking at her questioning her decision but ultimately relent to her conditions.

"We will keep that in mind. Sister, for now, rest and try to regain as much energy as you can," Celestia advised her before creating a semi-transparent bubble that surrounded herself and her companions, leaving only their silhouettes before shooting a beam of light that connected with Blueblood's horn.

"Good luck, Princess," Luna mentioned before standing up without any problem and smirking. "You are gonna need it."

"Weren't you supposed to be tired?" Tempo looked at her, confused by her actions, "and what is with that remark all of a sudden?"

"Oh, don't worry, Tempo, you are about to find out," Luna casually told her before pointing at the mare and charging her horn. "But right now, there is a message I need you to pass along…"

Inside Blueblood's mind

Appearing inside a pillar of light, Celestia took a moment to recover her balance before looking at her companions. "Rarity, Fluttershy, are you alright?"

"We are fine, Princess, just a tad bit dizzy," Rarity shook her head alongside Fluttershy before the two looked around the place. The light coming from Celestia's horn was swallowed up by the encompassing darkness around them.

"Is this Blueblood's subconscious?" Fluttershy walked backward slowly towards Celestia in fear. "It looks different from when we helped Luna."

"Not quite, our minds need a bit of time to adjust. Once they do, everything around us will fade in." Celestia kept gazing into the darkness, and just like she explained, soon, an old wooden floor started to fade in beneath their hooves. Some of the planks seemed to be loose or burned down, revealing steel bars underneath the holes and creaking at the smallest amount of pressure. Old books and pages were scattered all over the place, and in the far corner lay rows of bookshelves stocked with books, jars, and discarded fabric hugging the cracked and eroded marble walls of the room. There was also a twin pair iron bedframes spread around the room with thin mattresses on them, metal desks with medical tools in silver plates lay next to them completing the image of an abandoned clinic. A single window rested in the far left corner showing nothing but darkness. The only light emanated from the weak flames sputtering on dying wax candles on iron plates and the bookshelf.

"There we go," Celestia announced as she scanned the room.

"I liked it better when everything was dark," Fluttershy confessed, leaning on Celestia for support.

"I agree with you, darling, this infirmary is simply dreadful! So depressing and dark, what could have caused Blueblood to imagine this kind of place?" Rarity recoiled after touching on the beds with her hoof "Ew, ew, ew! The beds are even covered in dust! Seriously, who could work in these kinds of conditions!?"

_Luna, can you hear me?_ Celestia tried to make contact with her sister only to be greeted by silence.

_Luna, are you there?_ Celestia kept trying until a scream from Rarity broke her concentration.

"Princess!"

"What? What is happening?" Celestia and Fluttershy rushed to her side, only to find Rarity pointing at an operating table where none other than Princess Luna started to wake and hold her head in pain as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Lulu?" Celestia slowly approached her sister with suspicion, alert in case that this was a trap.

"Tia?" Once Luna saw her sister as her vision cleared, her eyes then went wide, and she rushed to her in worry. "What are you doing here!? Wait if you are here, then that means. Oh no…no, no, no, this is bad!" Luna kept chanting as she pranced back and forth in worry until Fluttershy tackled her into the ground with a hug.

"It's ok, Princess. It's ok, we are all here, just breathe."

While that was going on, Celestia took the opportunity to scan the mare and confirmed that it was indeed Luna, which only added to the confusion. "By the stars, it is you, Luna," she then glared at her in annoyance, "I told you to stay with Blueblood and rest!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, sister," Luna replied, regaining her breath and looking back at her. "But the mare who you spoke with wasn't me," she confessed fearfully, "When I dove into my nephew's dreams while you were moving our celestial bodies, I encountered a trap made by the creature. It tricked me into following her here, where she then ambushed me with an attack from behind," she huffed in annoyance and embarrassment for failing to see such an obvious trap.

"Wait, so all those times, you were fighting the tantabus after that…?" Fluttershy asked in fear at the realization

"…it was the creature using my body to cast more nightmares into our nephew to feed and keep weakening his mind so I couldn't reach him". Luna confirmed with a sigh. "And if she tricked you into coming here too, then that can only mean one thing."

"It has gathered all the power that it needs," Celestia answered for her, understanding the situation and looking up to a rising blood moon creeping way up in the window, "and just got rid of the final obstacles in its way..."

Back in reality

Dr. Caliber and Nurse Radiance were escorted by a platoon of guards and entered the room in the spa only to find it destroyed with unconscious guards spread out all alongside Tempo, who lay on one of the beds. A big red sphere was set next to her, showing the Princesses and the Elements inside, looking around an abandoned infirmary and a giant hole in the ceiling.

"No! We are too late!" Caliber yells before rushing to Tempo to inspect her wounds, sighing in relief when he discovers that she only had some scratches and a small burned patch of fur on her stomach; nothing too serious at the moment.

"Don't touch that!" Caliber warned a guard who was about to touch the bubble, "That is the Nightmare Opera spell of Blood Moon, and unless you want to be sucked inside of it, I suggest you keep your distance!"

Groaning in pain, Tempo slowly woke up, catching everyone's attention.

"M'am? M'am! Can you hear me?" one of the guards asked her, approaching slowly.

"Yeah," Tempo weakly replies as she slowly stood up.

"M'am, I need your help, do you know who did this to you?"

"Oh, I know," she answered before looking at him in worry, "But I don't think you will believe me if I tell you."

"Why is that?"

"Because the mare that did this was Princess Luna. She started to talk weird and afterward attacked me. She told me to relay a message to Twilight Sparkle," Tempo gulped and looked at the bubble." She said, 'This time will be different.'"

After the initial shock, the guards immediately went into high alert. "We need to inform Princess Twilight! Send a squad to retrieve her immediately! Tell her that in an emergency, Nightmare Moon may have returned!"

"No," Caliber simply replied as he stood up. "It is worse than that. I don't have time to explain, but I need to see the Princess too and tell what I discovered," he tells the guards urgently.


	68. Chapter 68

…**Just Nightmares**

"In the core of the moon is what?!" Twilight yelled in alarm at Caliber as Pinkie poked the sample that he showed them as soon as they arrived, as feisty as ever.

"The real culprit that made Nightmare Moon into well… the Nightmare Moon that we know from the stories. This right there is sentient, concentrated, envy, resentment and anger, your highness." Caliber repeated before passing the chart to her "At some point during her banishment, Nightmare Moon must have sealed some of her emotions into the moon itself for some reason, and left it there when she came back. I still have several questions that remain unanswered, the most pressing of which would be why she did that, but from what I can gather in my findings, all those negative emotions have just woken up and are now feeding off of the prince's fears and have caused this mess. To make matters worse, it appears to be growing."

"And you let my god-nephew toy with that kind of power?!" Tempo screeched at Platinum and Pudding Head, who, after hearing the news, took on the role of temporary rulers, and assessed the situation the best they could to prevent mass panic amongst the citizens, making it clear that they were just doing this to aid Twilight and her friends and let her focus on the more significant issue at hoof. "He was just re-learning magic! How could you let him toy with something like that?"

"Blueblood's situation was special, and he was making substantial progress in his training." Platinum replied calmly. "not once did he ever manifest any side effects during any of his testing other than the unusual growth of his mane." She then looked down in shame. "There was no way any of us could predict that this would happen."

"Yeah, he was in complete control all of the other times before, during, and after the transformation. Plus, I trained him so that he could expect the unexpected in any way, shape, or form. For those emotions to act like this right now, it doesn't seem logical," Pudding added, "Should I have used bigger pies?"

"Are you serious?!" Tempo startled both mares with her scream, "A shadow mare is draining my god-nephew as we speak, YOUR daughters are trapped in some hell scape inside his mind and all you can say is that you didn't think this would happen?! HE transforms into a pony of shadows for pony's sake! What is wrong with you?! Listen well you two, founders or not, whatever happens next will be on YOUR heads" She proclaimed raising an accusing hoof at both mares

"Ok, everyone chill." Rainbow flew by and got in between the horses trying to calm everyone down. "Let's not play the blame game here. Yeah, things are bad, but come on Tempo. Even the most calculated of moves can still fail." She tried to reason with her "As the founders said, mare that is still weird to say," Dash mumbled under her breath before continuing "They practiced, they trained, they did all they could, and then this happened." She shrugged with a smile. "It can happen to the best of us. It's just part of life."

"How could you be so calm in a moment like this!?" Tempo asked, astonished at how chill Dash was, only for the element of loyalty to blow a raspberry into the air and wave her hoof dismissively. "It is not such a big deal, the first time we defeated Nightmare Moon, we barely knew what the elements were. Now, we are stronger than ever, our friends have defeated tougher villains than her, AND this isn't even the real deal, it's just some residual magical emotional thing, that princess Luna left on the moon some time ago. Erasing this thing will be a piece of cake" She boasted in confidence.

"Did you forget the part where this one is smarter? Or that it has Blueblood's unique spells at her disposal? And it was clever enough to trick the princesses and two of our friends into a trap?!" AJ glared at Rainbow Dash and her attitude. "She not only managed to take Princess Celestia and Luna out of the picture but without Rarity and Fluttershy, we can't use the elements."

"Which is why the first thing we need to do, is to go into that subconscious land thingie and rescue them so we can kick Nightmare Moon's flank again" Rainbow countered back at her friend.

"I don't think it can be that easy, Rainbow Dash." Caliber shook his head before explaining, "I have studied the subject of the subconscious land before, and from what I have learned, that place is ruled by a bizarre and constantly changing set of laws. Where things can go from friendly to violent in an instant. I'm not sure if the elements could work there or if they can reach you once you are inside."

"Even so, Rainbow is right, we need to stop Nightmare Moon, and to do so, the first thing we need to do is find a way to rescue our friends," Twilight responded.

"Excuse me, darling," Rarity and Fluttershy walked into the throne room, much to everyone's surprise, "but I think the princesses have that covered already."

"Hi, girls," Fluttershy weakly replies, hiding her face behind her mane before both of them are brought into a group hug, which Pinkie quickly initiates and then ends to interrogate them.

"How do you escape? Did you just escape? Did the princesses escape too? Did Blueblood help you? He helped you escape you, didn't he? Where is he? Is he fighting Nightmare Moon now?" She kept asking questions a mile a minute until AJ put one of her hooves on Pinkie's mouth to stop her rambling.

"Well, darling, it's a curious story, to say the least." Rarity then recapped what happened after they encountered Princess Luna.

"You mean to tell us that we can't get out?!" Rarity confirmed with the princesses in alarm

"In the most dangerous and scariest place in the dreamland?" Fluttershy added, shaking like a leaf as she started to look around in fear for something that might pop out and attack them at any moment.

"Calm down, you two," Celestia instructed them both, "I know that things may seem bleak right now, but I assure you, we can solve this problem. I took the liberty of placing a small contingency plan in case something like this happened."

That last sentence caught the mares' attention as they all turned to look at Celestia.

"Before we departed I had grown suspicious of Luna when she suggested I bring you along after she warned me of this place, and I couldn't risk endangering your lives so recklessly, so when I encapsulated all of us, instead of bringing you with me, I teleported you to Canterlot castle as a safety precaution. You have a physical body here right now, thanks to a projection spell I cast in conjunction that targets all of your senses." She calmly explained to the two.

"Well done, sister. Thanks to your quick thinking, there still is hope to turn things around." Luna praised her with a nod before turning to Rarity and Fluttershy ."Listen well, you two. While it is true that my sister and I are trapped inside this mind scape, we can traverse it and find our way out with relative ease. So don't worry about our well being, and focus your attention on stopping the Tantabus" Luna instructed the two.

"I hate to admit it, but when I first encountered her, I felt sorry for the creature and, as a result, lowered my guard, thinking that her eradication would be easy." She looked around the infirmary. "Do not make the same mistake I made when confronting the Tantabus. Be on your guard and shoot on sight. She might not be Nightmare Moon, but with her smarts and my body in her possession, the stars only now what that creature would be capable of doing."

"And what about Blueblood? What is going to happen to him?" Fluttershy approached the two in worry, "Is he trapped in here as well?"

"There is a good chance of that being the case, unfortunately." Luna nodded a couple of times. "To keep feeding off his fear, the Tantabus most likely brought him here. This place enhances one's fears and mutates them into horrors born out of the imagination."

Both mares gasped at this revelation.

"Which is why you must leave this place at once and leave his rescue to us, while you go confront the Tantabus in the real world." Luna urged them as Celestia ended the spell making their bodies slowly fade away.

"Listen, Blueblood has a tracking spell in place, I'm almost certain that the Tantabus took him with her if only to keep her influence on him and prevent Luna and myself from escaping, so finding their location should be easy. Just ask any guard in the palace, they know the spell." Celestia instructed the two friends.

"Time of the essence, go and save Equestria before my past sins come back for a second time around." Luna mentioned as the vision of the mares turned blurry.

"After that, we woke up and rushed here as fast as we could when two guards told us that you were all here." Rarity finished their story.

"And the royal guard has already been informed, and we stand ready to assist your highness." Garra added as she and her sister walked into the room, both showing some wear as she had a bandage wrapped around her head while her sister had some minor bruises, and her rear hind leg was bandaged as well. Despite all of this, though, both of them didn't show any sign of discomfort as they marched towards the group and bowed to Twilight with respect.

"Privates Garra and Daga, reporting to duty your highness." Garra introduced them both before rising to salute

"Ah…just Twilight is ok." Twilight replied, not entirely sure of how to respond to the arrival of the two bat ponies.

"Understood Miss Twilight," Garra nodded, immediately after the two relaxed their posture.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves properly, my sister and I briefly served on the prince's security team." Daga informed the rest of the group before looking down in shame "The events that transpired today happened under our watch. Which makes this disaster our fault."

"Don't kick yourself that hard there, sugar cube. You weren't the only guards there and were facing off against a Tantabus with Princess Luna's magic, not to mention that you were caught off guard, no pun intended. The point is, a mare with that kind of power will be tough to beat, so there is no shame in losing against her." AJ consoled the two.

"Be that as it may, our honor as guards is tainted, and we seek a way for redemption." Daga was quick to reply, "That is why we are requesting the opportunity to assist on your mission."

"You want to come with us?" Dash asked with a raised eyebrow, "No offense or anything but, as AJ said, this Tantabus is not something you can beat without the elements, not to mention you are still injured so maybe you should sit this one…"

"…We are not looking for a rematch Rainbow Dash" Garra quickly interrupted her. "What we are suggesting is a rescue and extraction mission." She clarified

"The prince is still under our care, and as such, we have to protect him." Daga elaborated before pointing to her ears. "With our advanced hearing, we can track the prince faster and get him out of harm's way."

The comment got everyone's attention.

"A simple exploit of the diversion you would cause while keeping the creature busy. My sister and I could sneak in, rescue the prince, and cut off her food supply."

"And why just the two of you?" Tempo inquired with a raised eyebrow, "Wouldn't it be better if a squad of six or seven ponies went to his aid?"

The twins only shook their heads "When it comes to infiltration, and rescue missions, blending in is key. A large number of guards will simply stand out too much, that is why it will be better if only we go. So please, Miss Twilight, let us come too. Let us have a chance to redeem our past mistakes." Garra pleaded to Twilight once more.

"They make a good argument, Twilight." AJ looked at her friend, "I say we let them come too."

"We really shouldn't let Blueblood face that scary mare alone." Flutter shy added

"Yeah, plus I know what it's like to let your team down, I say that we let them tag along." Dash replied with a smile while everyone waited for Twilight's reply.

"It's your call princess," Platinum called out from the throne "We will respect your decision regardless, but just know that those two are the newest recruits to the royal guard, and they don't have the years of experience. Celestia and Luna's security had." She referred to the same guards on duty at either side of the base of the throne, also injured but stoic and ready to listen for new orders. "They have shown potential, but they are still impulsive, inexperienced in the field, and seem to have little in the way of common sense with how they wish to return to the line of fire when they clearly should be resting." Platinum listed off while glaring at the two recruits, disappointed in their actions. "Will you still give them a chance in the face of all that? Do you trust they will be able to follow orders?"

"Of course we…!" Daga was about to protest when her sister jabbed her in the ribs before glaring at her with urgency, as not to spoil their image even more. Platinum looks at her with a raised eyebrow and neutral expression. Daga just remained quiet and waited for Twilight's decision.

"I…" Twilight was about to reply when suddenly Pudding Head interrupted her.

"Sorry for interrupting, but maybe we should hurry things up a little bit" She pointed at the window, and everyone gasped when they saw a spheric shadow creeping from the side of the Moon at a decent pace.

"Is that…an eclipse?" Caliber questioned with some worry as his sample started to trash around more violently. "The Tantabus is starting her plan. We don't have time to waste!"

"He is right, Daga, Garra, you can come with us, just be careful and stay out of sight."

"Understood!" Both guards saluted in unison.

"Caliber, that sample is getting stronger. I need you to go to Ponyville and give it to Starlight so she can destroy it before it hurts somepony. Tell her to take Spike with her for extra help and so she can send me a message if anything happens"

"At once, your highness." Caliber bowed and then left the room.

"Princess Platinum, Chancellor Pudding Head, could you keep things here under control while were are gone, and if anything happens, could you organize an evacuation?"

"Consider it done, although as Celestia apprentice, I trust in your capabilities young Twilight."

"Yeah, don't sweat the small stuff. We can look after Equestria for a bit, no problem! Go and save the day like you always do!" Pudding confirmed with a big smile before her expression turned urgent "Just hurry up in doing it!"

"You don't have to tell me twice." Soon after, everyone sprung into action or flew off from the throne room following her lead. "Garra, Daga, you said that you know where the Tantabus is, how long will it take us to reach her lair?"

"Not much ma'am, she went straight to where Nightmare Moon fell for the first time." Garra responded.

The ruins of the castle of the two sisters

Admiring the Moon as it was being eclipsed with a glowing horn. The figure of princess Luna with milky eyes laid back on a repaired silver throne with a smile on her face as her plans unfolded. "Ah eternal night, such a naive, simplistic, and boring concept, don't you agree, Blueblood?" Closing an eye and looking to her left, she saw the prince in question standing still with a thousand-yard stare and a look of concern in his face.

"What is the matter, Blueblood?" Nightmare mocked concern before using her hoof to nuzzle his chin. "Too scared to speak? Ah, that's right; you are still under my influence." She chuckled lightly before grabbing his jaw forcefully and made him look at her. "Bet you would like to hear me now, wouldn't you, you ungrateful brat?!" She relaxed her hold and expression before bringing him into her chest and gently stroked his hair like a cat. "Oh, Blueblood, what am I going to do with you?" She started to cackle for a moment and then let him go. "Indeed, what am I going to do with you? True, you ignored me and tried to get rid of me!" She choked him for a second before dropping the prince on the ground as she brought one of her hoofs to her chin "But also, you were the first pony that wasn't afraid of me, and you are the reason I was able to escape the moon in the first place."

Leaving him on the ground, she starts to pace back and forth "Hm decisions, decisions" Nightmare kept weighing her options until an idea dawned upon her and a sinister smile crept on to her face

"Maybe I was too harsh on you, honey." Nightmare petted his head once more as her eyes shined with white light. "Perhaps, there is still a use for you yet in my new empire. You only need proper grooming and guidance." Her horn glows brighter as her teeth turn into fangs, and her body shifted into the form of Nightmare Moon as he whimpers in his sleep "Don't be afraid sweetie, I will take proper care of you, molding your mind, showering you with affection, give you the counsel that you so desperately need. In short, a far better aunt than either Luna or Celestia ever was. So just close your eyes and listen to my voice as your ruler sings you a lullaby."

As she sang, the walls of the room were cover in darkness and from them glowing eyes started to appear from them followed by images of monsters and demons starting to emerge from it, and slowly approach the prince like a wounded prey about to be pounced on, as he lay still on the ground with his eyes closed soundly asleep. A purple mist slowly rose from the floor and crept around the prince as a flock of bats swallowed the light with darkness as the fog made it way to his nostrils and mouth, making him choke and cough violently until his eyes snapped open wide awake, and his pupils shrank to pinpricks.

Soon after his entire body convulsed and reshaped itself, the sound of bones snapping and muscles popping echoed through the hallway as his groans of pain gave way to animalistic growls of anger and hunger that made the creatures of the night take a step back.

The prince stared back at the shadows briefly until with lighting like reflex, he struke at them with fangs and claws ready, as Nightmare kept singing, a satisfied smile on her face as she admired her work on the creature of the night before her until nothing of the old Blueblood remained.

When the last shadow was gone, the new Blueblood looked to her and growled with menacing piercing red eyes before turning around and fleeing the room. The Nightmares voice echoed in the hallways as the prince kept growling and barking like a beast until finally, he reached the top of a tower and smashed through to the rooftop. Laying on the roof, Blueblood looked at the moon before rising and then let loose a mighty howl. Nightmares laughed echoing in the distance once her song ended, with a silver ring now dominating the night sky.


	69. Journey Into The Subconscious Part 1

**Journey Into The Subconscious **

Soon after reaching the Everfree forest entrance, Twilight and her friends didn't waste any time and marched straight to the ruins of the two sisters' castle where an unexpected sight made them all stop and take a double-take at the scene before them. The once ruined and decrepit structure now stood tall, brand new, and imposing, without a single trace or hint of having been taken over by nature, a completely new floor made the palace even more prominent. The most worrying sign of all, the stairs leading to the basement were nowhere to be seen and instead were replaced by a floor of dirt.

"How in tarnation did Nightmare Moon fix this place so fast? Not even Twilight's magic could do something like this…can it?" AJ turned to her friend with a raised eyebrow though Twilight only shook her head, still looking at the structure in surprise.

"It the prince's original spell" Garra answered keeping her eyes on the castle "With Nightmare Opera, Nightmare turned the entire castle into a den of dreams, the moment we enter she can dictate what is real and what isn't" She then turned to Twilight "We need to step lightly your highness, elements or not. If we are not careful, we will end up in the same mindscape the royal sisters are currently in."

"Ah Twilight, you wouldn't think that Nightmare Moon also turned the elements into a dream so we couldn't use them…right?" Fluttershy questioned prodding the dirt floor, confirming that it was real.

"Come on, Fluttershy. We are talking about the elements here," Dash hovered over her. "Even if she tried, it took Discord thousands of years before his magic did something to them, and that was when they were divided, now the elements are stronger, complete, and are growing."

"Rainbow Dash is right, Fluttershy. When it comes to magic, even if they were affected, it would take a long time before anything could happen." Twilight eased her worries, before looking at the castle with determination. "Ok, everypony, we don't know what's waiting for us inside, so we won't take any chances, let's call for the elements and march in. Daga, Garra, we will give you an opening. Once inside, look for Blueblood and get out as fast as you can."

"Yes, ma'am" They saluted and took a step back as Twilight and her friends got closer and called upon the elements. Still, before anything could happen, the group was blasted by an energy beam that sent them all crashing into the castle entrance before they heard the familiar crackling of Nightmare Moon coming from Rarity and Fluttershy of all ponies as their bodies turned into mist and merged together before forming a gate from which the mare of shadows stepped through.

"Foolish ponies, who dared to oppose my will."

"Nightmare Moon?!" Twilight questioned, astonished by the revelation as the mist keep creeping towards them

"Did you think that I wouldn't be prepared for any of your tricks?"

"It was you all along? You were just pretending to be our friends so you could capture us all in one move?" Rainbow Dash asked, flaring her wings in anger.

The nightmare only continued to laugh and shake her head. "And like the gullible sheep you are, you took the bait, hook, line, and sinker." Nightmare gloated. "Originally, I was planning on keeping you all apart as much as possible so you couldn't use those annoying elements on me. But after seeing the latent potential that this spell has and knowing how persistently annoying you all can be. I decided to allow you to join them instead of keeping you apart."

Rainbow tried to make a run at Nightmare, but fog appeared in the entrance stopping her moments and making her back away. She didn't feel any sort of impact either, just an invisible force that wouldn't let her advance, as Nightmare looked at the display with glee

"Welcome to the subconscious realm, ladies. A place where the elements of harmony can't reach you, and without my guidance, it's impossible to get out, feel free to explore, try to escape, or reunite with your fellow inmates. It won't matter in the slightest. There is no way to escape unless I say so." Nightmare Moon announced with a smirk before turning around as the mist closed in. "Let's see if you like being trapped for a thousand years."

Opening her wings, she prepared to fly away when suddenly the ground started to shake, making everyone lose their balance.

"What?" Nightmare Moon was confused by the rumbles before crystal roots burst forth from the ground, encapsulating the castle in a holed dome with a rainbow light covering every single hole in it, effectively preventing anyone from leaving. Nightmare demonstrated this when she tried only to be bounced back as a result. "No, no, no! This is impossible! I sealed you away. You shouldn't be able to use them now! I closed off your connection with the elements!" Nightmare screeched, completely livid from what happened, she tried to pierce the barrier using her magic, with no effect whatsoever. "I was so close! My empire was within hoofs reach! This isn't it happening! I'll not be denied again!"

"Tough luck, Nightmare," Dash smirked at her, "Told you, the elements were stronger."

"Of course! Over the years, the elements have grown in power and wisdom, and now that they are reunited once more. Even if we can't use them, they will never let the likes of you conquer Equestria." Twilight explained confidently, making Nightmare growl and look back to them.

"Listen to me carefully Twilight Sparkle, you may have trapped me, but all of you are in MY world now. And here, my word is the law!" She then grinned and lifted off once more "I could dispose of you with a mere thought right now, but that would ruin the special nightmare I created just for you, straight from Blueblood's mind." She claimed before flying upwards. "Try to find your friends! I will love to see what happens." Her laughs echos were the last thing they heard before the fog made it impossible for them to see anything else.

"Well, so much for a surprise attack," Daga sighed dejectedly as her sister inspected the place, trying to distinguish anything in the fog that was currently surrounding them.

"Aw doesn't feel bad, Daggy, you'll see, everything will be all right. Things didn't go according to plan the first time we faced Nightmare Moon either." Pinkie console and cheer her up before bringing her into a hug. "Do you remember the cliff?" she asked her friends.

"Yeah, it was scary how Nightmare almost kill us that time." AJ nodded, remembering the event.

"What about the bridge? You think the Shadow Bolts will appear here and ask me to join them again?" Dash joked, lifting their moods too. "Not that I can blame them, I'm just that awesome."

"I remember how scary it was when Nightmare Moon destroyed the previous elements of harmony" Twilight mentioned with a smile "But then I remembered all that we learned that night and how the elements weren't pieces of rocks with magic inside, but instead, they were in all of us."

The friends share a group hug "Thanks, Pinkie. We needed that small pep talk."

"Anytime Twily, I'm sure we can think of something."

"Yeah, you always do sugar cube, no pony knows about anything more than you. If anyone could think of a plan, it would be you."

"Well, I have studied the subconscious realm in the past. I wondered if I could use it to study while I slept."

The comment earned a knowing groan from everypony present. "I know, I know. I shouldn't do so much of that. But if there's something I learned from the experience, it is that it has a very peculiar way of doing things. It kind of obeys the wishes of a pony but in a subtle matter. If we all keep thinking of finding the princess and our friends, this place will lead us straight to them, but it will not be immediate. It's finicky and acts at random sometimes, but it always delivers."

"There you go, Twilight! See? I told you, you could come up with something" AJ praised her as the fog started to clear.

"Hey, why don't we ask that guy for directions?" Pinkie pointed in front of them, and they noticed how the room they were in had changed much more than they initially thought. Instead of a regular hallway, the group found themselves in a graveyard outdoors, bursting with tombs spread all over the place and overgrown by nature. A dead tree stood in the middle of the grounds, and a pony stood groaning and panting from exhaustion, with unkempt, ragged white mane and tail paying no attention to them as he was busy chopping something on the ground using a long-handled ax. He was wearing a black stetson, a ripped and decrepit black trench coat, and a dark grey scarf with old and dirty bandages draping everywhere on his body.

"Hi," Pinkie said as she approached him, but Daga and Garra extend their wings to stop her advance, and they shook their heads before slowly taking out their weapons, eyeing the pony carefully as he was finished chopping an empty suit armor

"…Traitors, all over the place…" The pony started to speak, seemingly not noticing the group yet "…You'll learn to bend the knee, sooner or later…" He slowly turns to face them, revealing how his face was also bandaged and exhaled slowly, letting out a long gout visible breath as the temperature plummeted.

At that moment at the base of a staircase leading to the entrance of a gothic cathedral

"Everypony stay alert, and whatever you do, do not interact with anyone." Luna ordered the group before looking ahead of her while continuing to scan the location for threats. For her part, her sister took up the rearguard as they kept moving in a straight line after discovering what Nightmare Moon had done to them.

"Are you sure you know where we are going, princess?" Rarity kept taking the occasional glance to all the ponies roaming in all directions around them...none of them with a face. Other than the occasional wardrobe choice, there were no discerning details on their bodies. They all looked identical to the point where she couldn't tell if they were mare or stallion. "All these faceless ponies are making me nervous, and not just because of their awful choice in the wardrobe." She pointed out looking at the ragged and dirty clothes everyone was wearing at the time from head to hoof, in what appeared to be sets of clothes from the fifth century, for the common class. "Seriously, it's like they all fought with a porcupine and lost." She complained as they continued their march.

"A…Are you sure none of them will hurt us, princess?" Fluttershy inquired, still trembling from the scene all around them.

"As long as you don't interact, all of these ponies are nothing more than daily afterimages."

"Afterimages?" Rarity looked at the princess with a raised eyebrow.

"Like residual memories from what you saw during the previous day" Celestia answers for them "Think about it this way, when you go out for a walk around ponyville without any objective in mind, do you remember every single pony, pet, or other species that pass by you? Regardless if you know them or not?"

"I'm not so sure, to be honest." Rarity finally replied after she and Fluttershy thought it over for a while.

"Which is normal, unless you had a particularly sharp photographic memory. Having the perfect recollection of everything you see directly or indirectly would be impossible. At most, you would have some vague silhouette and maybe one or two details, and that is what all these ponies are"

"Which is why you must be cautious and do not look at them for too long." Luna butted in with a strained sense of urgency, "It will be wise to consider all of them as ticking time bombs."

"What?" The group looked at Luna in surprise at this revelation

"This is one of the dangers of the subconscious land. Afterimages are like blank pages waiting to be filled, pay too much attention to them, and you fill those pages with the very first thought that crosses your mind, be it good or bad, and so they will be. They are the actors that appear in the background of all of your dreams, be pleasant ones or dreaded nightmares, and if we are very unlucky, we might even face the main star of the latter. Wich with Nightmare Moon on the loose and influencing our nephew, nightmares will be all but guaranteed." Luna warned them as they reached the double doors leading inside. "We are here."

"What is the plan, Luna?" Celestia inquired, walking to her side.

"I trust that all of you have heard the expression 'Dreams are windows to the subconscious.' Am I correct?"

They all nodded

"Well, said window works in both ways, and even though it's not an actual window, dreams, and the subconscious have an actual point of union. If we can find it and cross over, I can regain control over my nephew's dreams and severe Nightmare's connection with him."

"Which means that the location will be heavily guarded, right?" Celestia confirmed the reasoning with Luna's logic as her sister merely nodded.

"Be ready everypony, this is our only way out, and to defeat this evil, we will have to be prepared for anything." Luna coached them before opening the giant set of double doors revealing a twisted version of their throne room with murals depicting Nightmare Moon instead of the history of Equestria. What appeared to be a large shrine stood at the back of the room and a pony mare kelt before in the center crossing, praying.

Fluttershy gasped and started to approach "Oh my, did Nightmare capture another…?"

Luna unfurled her wings and arched her back in alarm, "Do not be deceived! That is a nightmare!" Luna yelled, Celestia and Rarity followed her lead and prepared their horns for combat.

Meanwhile, the mare just kept mumbling her inaudible prayers before she started to sob and held a gold watch in her hoof bringing it close to her chest before suddenly raising her head in the air while letting out an ungodly wail as her body shifted and transformed right before their eyes until she became a massive blind werewolf-like creature with antlers, swathed in bandages who slowly turns around and growls at them.

With a start and doused with cold sweat, the prince woke up before hearing the cackling of Nightmare Moon near him as he slowly stood up, trying to maintain his balance as he watched through two sets of full body mirrors how what he just dream turn into a reality judging by how the events were still progressing within the mirrors as Nightmare admired them from her throne.

"Such magnificent nightmares, such beautiful creatures of the night you have given me. You are certainly of my blood, sweetling." She praised him with a warm smile while with a flick of her wrist made both mirrors turn to fog and dissipated from existence.

"What…what just happened…so much rage…what did you do to me?! What horrors did you make me create?!" The prince demanded in a mix of horror and anger at her.

"Made you?" The mare asked in mock confusion, exaggerating her moments and even bringing her right hoof to her chest for effect "Oh sweetling, the only thing I did was unlock your true inner self in a dream, and brought it into reality." She stood and walked towards him before poking his forehead as her expression turned malicious. "What you created was all your own doing."

The prince swatted her hoof away as she went back to her kind face. "It felt good, didn't it? Getting all that pent up frustration out of your system? Finally, finding out what type of pony you are…knowing that for a brief moment, you truly were a pony of shadows." She kept speaking while circling him with a predatory grin. Blueblood closed his eyes and looked down. Fits of rage from for what she did to him and shame from seeing what he looked like inside shook him.

"Admit it, deep inside your heart. You liked the freedom that I gave you." Nightmare whispered into his ear, but when he did not respond, her demeanor instantly turned aggressive, "I say, admit it!" She ordered him once more.

"Are you insane! You expect me to be happy with what you just made me do!?" Blueblood replied defiantly, glaring right into her eyes, "The only thing you did was force me to live out my worst nightmare!"

"Still, refusing to accept yourself?! Perhaps I woke you up too soon. Maybe you need another song." The prince's eyes went wide in surprise and horror as Nightmare came closer "Or maybe just creating nightmares wasn't enough, and what you need is to be a part of them."

"No! Don't you dare Nightmare I swear if you make me hurt my friends or my aunts…"

"I'm your aunt now!" She slapped hard across the muzzle, sending him to the floor in a fit of frustration before taking a deep breath and calming down. She then knelt and helped him stand up to look at him with a sad expression, "Oh my poor misguided heir, why do you keep making me hurt you so much?"

The prince wanted to reply, but the mare had him paralyzed under her magic "Have those mares conditioned your mind so thoroughly that you don't see the shadow they are forcing you to live in?" She ended the spells and started to walk away from the prince. Who still glared at her angrily until the light around him faded. Finally able to move, Blueblood looked up and saw a giant statue of Celestia blocking the sun and putting him literally in her shadow. "Haven't you ever stopped and asked yourself, what is your role with them? Do you think she has a grand plan for you too?" Nightmare questioned, pointing at the statue. "When I took Luna's body, I also took a peek at her memories, and let me tell you. The future doesn't end well for you."

He started to consider her words before realizing what was happening. Shaking his head awake making the illusion fade out with a poof of smoke and returning them to the throne room "You are lying, nothing here is real, you are just using my spell against me, and this is just a bad dream" The prince turns around to see her, but she was gone.

"And what do you think is the core of this bad dream?" Nightmare questioned, reappearing behind him in the form of mist as she kept whispering into his ear. "Nightmares don't just appear from thin air, without rhyme or reason." Blueblood spun around, but she vanished again. "Every nightmare comes from a gathering of guilt, of fear, or of trauma. And there is always a kernel truth you don't dare to see or want to expose inside them."

"Shut up," Blueblood hissed out angrily.

"Don't you want to learn what your aunts refuse to tell you?"

"I said, Shut UP!" The prince blasted her with magic the moment he saw her only to destroy a wall and make a hole to another room.

_**"We need to do something about that nephew of yours..."**_ The voice of Luna caught the prince attention, as he slowly stepped inside the room revealing a foggy version of Celestia's bedroom were both mares were discussing something in the middle of the night _**"...he claims to love us, but all of he does is mooch, guilt trip or scheme so he can always, ALWAYS have his way."**_ Luna continued to fume at her sister

"Huh?" The prince looked at them, confused as he hid behind Celestia's bed, out of instinct and curiosity about what they were saying, making him not notice the tendrils of Nightmare Moon altering the memory as he kept listening.

_**"Fine. You win, Luna. You are right, he is a petulant little monster, and he needs to be taught a lesson. I'm not blind.**_I simply allow this because his behavior was my fault."

She walked toward her windows. "The little snot was once my pet project for the future, a prominent candidate to succeed us once we retired. But when I saw the utter failure he was. I decided to make preparations for plan B, Twilight Sparkle."

"Which solves the problem of who will rule after us, but leaves his fate up in the air…"

Celestia brought her hoof to her chin "Perhaps not sister, tell me something. Wouldn't it be just wonderful if he were to have a change of heart or rather, of soul? One that would be of great use to Twilight?" Celestia asked in a sinister tone. Which snapped Blueblood back to reality as he looked behind him.

"NIGHTMARE!" He stopped his hoof on the ground and enforced his will on the scene, causing everything to disappear with a poof of smoke as he returned to a now-empty throne room with the mare of shadows laughter echoing through the hall beckoning him to follow.

"Well, spotted, dear."

"I will not be deceived by your tricks anymore!"

"Perhaps not, but I only tampered with half of that memory."

"It will not change a thing regardless. I know how I was before. Whatever they discussed was more than fair."

"Oh? And what about your current self? Do you think they now wish you to have the crown? Twilight is still a prime candidate, what does that leave you with? Hmm? Celestia was particularly eager to take you under her wing and pretend that you were her family when she heard that story, doesn't that raise some questions?"

Feeling an invisible force, the prince started to march towards the dark hallway. "Why don't we go find out?"

As he advanced, he did his best to ignore Nightmare jabs "She is just lying, she is just lying, she is just lying" He kept chanting while exploring the castle.


	70. The Six Interpretations

**The Six Interpretations **

"Look out!" Rainbow Dash yelled before swooping down and hoisting Pinkie into the air, away from the manic ax-welding pony who didn't waste time attacking them when he saw the group.

"What in the hay is wrong with that pony? He is probably at least a hundred years old, wounded, and even blind! How can he move that fast?" Dash asked, perplexed by the lightning fast reflexes the pony had as he continued to growl and thrash at them while swinging his ax like a crazy stallion.

"Don't know. I'm more focused on not having my head chopped off!" AJ exclaimed as she used her lasso to try and take the ax away from him. Though, the pony revealed a long metallic tube held in his other hoof that held a horn inside of it, making both her and Pinkie gasp when they saw it. "Is that…"

Pinkie barely muttered out before a shock wave of magic burst forth, almost blasting the two mares away. However, they were saved with the timely intervention of the guards who pulled them out of the way, leaving nothing but destroyed tombs where they were seconds before.

"That pony has a severed horn inside that weapon!" AJ yelled in shock, "Twilight, be careful!"

The princess in question raised a shield in time to prevent another attack from the weapon before the nightmare jumped backward and zigzagged to avoid another attack from Rainbow Dash, before lashing out, forcing Rainbow back as he returned pressing his advantage and swinging his ax wildly. Garra saw an opportunity and took it, tackling him into the ground, before jumping back.

"We are only tiring ourselves out. We need a plan." Twilight called out to her group.

"Agreed, miss Twilight! My sister, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I will keep him busy. You try to find an escape route." Daga told her before joining her sister and deploying two daggers from her armored horseshoes and started attacking. Her blades scored several small slashes on his body before quickly disengaging, flying away before he could retaliate. Simultaneously, her sister used two hidden swords mounted on the base of her wings to do the same, leaving a trail of ice behind each attack.

When the nightmare wound up to lash out with his weapon, Daga threw a small weighted dart at his wrist trailing behind it was a thin metallic string that led back to her horseshoe. Once it connected, she unleashed an electric discharge which stunned the enemy.

"What the hay? are those new kinds of weapons?" AJ asked them both, impressed by what they just did.

"Standard royal guard weaponry…with some small arcane enhancements granted to us by scoring top ranks in our psychology and physical tests." Garra answered before narrowly dodging away when the nightmare jumped and almost split her head in half with the ax. The blade buried itself into the ground before it was torn free, flinging a cloud of dust up and into Garra's eyes, blinding her and leaving her vulnerable to the follow-up strike from the steel-capped butt of the weapon. AJ tried once again to disarm their opponent and take the horn cylinder away. Still, the nightmare grabbed her lasso and spun, pulling the unprepared mare off her hooves, AJ found herself airborne for a moment before being slammed into her friends, sending them crashing against the tree.

"Ok, is it me, or is he getting faster?" Dash asked, her worry edging into her tone as they recovered from the last attack, scrambling to their hooves before he could attack again.

"…Ah, what's that smell" The nightmare started to talk as he stalked towards them. "Is it fear? The core of any nightmare, it's calling for me…begging to be born!" He started to laugh maniacally as his attacks became more and more unpredictable.

"Twilight! Tell me you found a way out!" AJ yelled out in near panic for how little control they had in the fight as her friends desperately tried to find any way to escape but could only see more of that dense fog that kept pushing them back.

"Don't worry, partner! We can take it from here" To everyone surprise, AJ's voice replied to her question as a blast of magic streaked out from within the fog and hit the monster square in the forehead, stunning it and making him take a stagger back before snarling and turning to face the fog as a humanoid version of Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped out of the misty shroud, Applejack held a smoking revolver in one hand and a music box on the other. She still wore her hat. However, there was a silver star woven into the hatband. Complementing her hat was a long brown poncho, blue jeans, and two holsters for her weapons. On the other hand, her companion looked more like a robot with steel skin, turbines built into the edge of her wings, and a blue uniform. Her head was protected by a red helmet covering her eyes and showing some of her rainbow mane.

"Hey, Gascoigne! Does this sound familiar?" the Anthropomorphic Applejack taunted before starting to play the music box, forcing the nightmare to stop and hold his head in pain. This distraction gave enough time for Anthro-Rainbow to rush at him at maximum speed, sending Gascoigne flying with one punch that seemed to catch fire just before it sent the monster into the air, before chasing the turbines in her wings whining to life. She blurred up in pursuit and continued her assault, tossing Gascoigne around like a rag doll faster than the eye could track, finally ending her rush with a devastating kick to his face that rammed him right into the tree.

"BOOM! Goes the dynamite, go Rainbow, go Rainbow, you just got burned, old-timer!" Anthro-Dash continued to celebrate even after she had returned to the ground until her companion smacked her on the back of the head. "Can you gloat after we rescue everyone?" Anthro-AJ scowled at her with a glare,

"Buzz-kill," Anthro-Rainbow mumbled before her arm opened up and turned into a cannon and blasted the nightmare with a beam of fiery energy, giving Antro Applejack time to grab her counterparts' hoof. "That will not stop him for long, come with us!"

"Ah…Eh…wha…what is happening?" Dash tried to process what was happening before looking to Twilight for an answer, yet she had a similar reaction to Anthro-Applejack.

"There's no time, sugar cube! We'll explain on the way! Or would you prefer taking your chances with him?" the Cowgirl yells at the group, pointing behind her as the monster's silhouette howled and thrashed around as light started to leak from him like he was about to explode.

"Point taken," Garra nodded and, along with her sister, helped to drag everyone out as Cowgirl Applejack, and Robo Dash rushed them towards the fog. The latter running ahead and using her speed once more, dispelling a chunk of the mist in one punch, opening a path for the group to escape before it could reform, leaving the monster behind just before he exploded into a beast-like creature, dispelling the fire all around him.

At the same time with the royal sisters.

"It's no use. More just keep coming!" Celestia shouted to Luna as she blasts yet another werewolf away from the group. Soon after they started their fight, the royal sisters managed to take advantage of the situation by continuously blasting the antlered beast away from them, as Rarity did her best to restrain it using her clothes against the werewolf. At the same time, Fluttershy kept searching for the connection point they were looking for.

Everything seemed fine, and they start to gain some confidence when the creature began to crack like it was made of crystal. Still, their victory was short-lived once more copies of the same creature burst from the frescoes and halted the groups advance through with sheer numbers until, inevitably, a tipping point was reached and they were forced back. With their backs literally against the wall, Luna had just completed erecting a powerful force field. At the same time, Celestia tried her best to keep them at bay.

"I don't get it, none of our nightmares were this bad before, not even the Tantabus was this strong" Rarity looked at Luna with concern, "Why are these nightmares different?"

"Because my nephew's mind is that of a human, and unlike ponies, his dreams work differently from ours. and with Nightmare Moon feeding them with my magic, it would be logical that they would be far stronger." Luna glared at the monsters through her barrier before looking around "This is a lost cause, Tia! We need to retreat and think of something else while we still can."

"I second the motion!" Everyone look at Fluttershy confused when they hear her voice in the distance despite that she was right next to them, she only shook her head before, from the front door, thousands of giant arrows streaked forth, perforating a sizable portion of the nightmare creatures, making them turn their attention to the entrance where an enormous gray wolf was holding a sword stood next to a humanoid Artorias, Ornstein, and Smough. The four then rushed inside and engaged the beasts immediately.

"The Terror Knights?" Luna questioned out loud in confusion by their sudden arrival.

"Hurry! While they covered us," Fluttershy's voice was heard again, but when they looked back, the group saw a bipedal version of her clad in green armor and blue clothes underneath it.

"Fl…Fluttershy? But…how? if you are…?" Rarity asked, confused by what was happening, looking back and forth between the knight and her friend.

The wolf's cries alerted them, and to their horror, they saw how never-ending the waves of monsters truly were. They were slowly overrunning the knights, who were only holding on due to the second volley of arrows that came from the distance.

"There's no time; just trust me!" Anthro-Fluttershy yelled at them in worry before pulling a rope to hold everyone together. Then she extended her fist towards the knights and wolf, who turned into mist that blew straight back to four rings on her fingers. She then opened her hand and extended it to the ground where a lamp sprung up from it like a plant. It suddenly lit up with white light. Soon all of them vanished into the light before any one of the creatures could slam its claws into them.

Twilight's group continued following their new allies sometime later, stepping into a narrow and deserted cobblestone alleyway. Rainbow finally had enough and flew in front of them. "Ok, I think we waited long enough, time for some questions, who are…?" Cowgirl-AJ covered her mouth and pushed her against the wall before pressing herself against it as well. Robo Dash shushed the rest of the group and followed suit, gesturing them to do the same.

Pinkie nodded eagerly and compiled while everyone else followed suit in time for them to hear what sounded like two beasts fighting in a life or death struggle as the earth shook as the conflict continued. Several minutes passed until the ground stopped moving and they heard faint horse steps fading into the distance until the group couldn't hear anything else. Stepping outside everyone's face turned green at the sight before them, giant claw marks and signs of the struggle could be seen everywhere, scorch marks and still burning fires were spread out in all directions as well as gaping holes, making the whole area look like the aftermath of a fire. In the middle of the plaza, most disturbing of all, lay a massive charred corpse twitching in the street. From what could be seen, that wasn't buried beneath the destroyed houses. It had six-arms, with a spheric, half-eaten head that was riddled with holes that continued down its chest.

"Sorry for the rough treatment partner, but we ain't exactly out of the woods yet. So to speak." Cowgirl Applejack apologized before advancing again "Everyone keep your eyes peeled, something worse than those nightmares is on the hunt around here," She whispered harshly, instantly bringing the twins to full alert. The pair calmly moved to guard the rear, and lightly pushed the group into a single column.

"Just hold your questions, a tiny bit longer, ok rookie? Trust me. The rider is something you do not want to face. He preys on those things, for pity's sake." Robo Dash pointed at the corpse, "If that doesn't give you an idea on how dangerous he is, I don't know what will."

"What could it be capable of killing something this big?" Twilight asked fearfully though also slightly intrigued by the nature of something so big. "Hmm, it's clear that he used some kind of piercing weapon. The holes are too clean and straight to have been left by a stinger or a horn. A lance, perhaps? No, they are too big, maybe a ram with a pointy end? But to leave so many holes at once, he would have to move an incredible speed, which is highly unlikely considering the size it must have. It almost contradicts itself, and then this fire? Did the rider cause it? Or was it the creature? The pattern follows some of the trails back to its victim, but these other scorch marks… they almost look like explosions." She speculated.

"Don't try to overthink it, ok? We mean it, the rider is quite possibly the most dangerous thing around here, even the pest that started this mess avoids him." Robo Dash warned her as they turned the corner and began to cross a covered stone bridge where they stopped halfway through, and then Cowgirl AJ knocked on one of the walls in a specific pattern. The final tap opened a hidden door that led to another path. The door swung silently closed once the group was inside. The path led a short way to another set of doors.

"Welp, we're here." Cowgirl Applejack opened the last set of double doors made of marble so the group could walk inside what appeared to be an abandoned church claimed by nature without pews, instead, having rows of pillars along each side of the room were covered by a layer of flowers, as well as chunks of the marble floor. A long pointy door frame in the far wall leading to a dense garden and, in the back, two sets of spiral stairs with another set of doors at the top lead deeper into the building. "Don't worry about any attacks, sugar cube. No nightmares can reach this place."

"And what is this place, exactly?" Dash hovered in place as she looked around.

"Gwynevere's Dream," Luna answered, and the group soon found the princesses and the rest of their friends coming from the garden accompanied by a bipedal Fluttershy. "Hello everypony, although the circumstances are less than ideal, it still nice to see you all in good health."

"Princesses, Rarity, Fluttershy," Twilight smiled and rushed towards them alongside her friends to join in a big group hug, elated to be reunited once more.

"How did you get here? Did you create those versions of ourselves?" Twilight looked at Luna in interest, who merely shook her head in response, "Just like you. These dreams came to us in our time of need." Luna turned to regard the counterparts that were greeting each other. "Although my magic did play a part in their creation, I can't take credit for them."

"What do you mean, your highness?" Applejack wondered, ending the hug.

"Who are those mares?" Garra looks at them still wary and on alert.

"And why do they have a bipedal shape?" Her sister followed suit, scanning the place and the princesses if they were facing another trick."

"Stand down and be at peace, private." Luna was quick in attempting to calm them down. "Although your suspicion isn't without merit, Nightmare would not gain a single thing from saving you right after tossing you into a trap in which she was expecting you to perish." She pointed out-earning their attention.

The twins looked at one another, still unsure, and then turn to Applejack for help who looked back at them.

"She is not lying sugar cube and raises a good point, why save us when she wants us gone? If she wanted to toy with our minds, she could have simply left a path to escape that crazy stallion back there."

They thought about her words carefully for a while before nodding and relaxing their posture. "That still leaves us with who are those ponies." Garra looks back at them.

"And if none of you made them, or this place, then who did?" Daga look around the building in confusion.

"For whom they are, you could say that they are mental representations. Twisted, and bizarre images of my nephew's loved ones. In here it is normal to have many ideas for the same pony, each representing an exaggerated version of the qualities they see in them. Although these are different from what I have come to learn about."

"Wait, so that is why my clone looks like a robot?" Dash pointed at her copy perplexed, as the princess nodded.

"As for who created this sanctuary and the interpretations that defend it, well…that is more complicated to explain." Celestia looked up to gather her thoughts, not sure how to explain what they discovered.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance your highness" The voice of Twilight got everyone's attention, and when they looked up towards the sound, they saw her and the rest of her friends walking downstairs to meet them. They were also bipedal, with Rarity wearing a diamond tiara, a pastel white and purple formal dress complete with voluminous sleeves and purple lipstick. A thin light purple scarf was draped over her shoulders with her cutie mark embroidered on its edge, elegantly walking and waving to the crowd like she was making a grand entrance to a ball.

"Welcome to our humble abode darlings. It's so wonderful to see that you could all make it in good health."

"Well, I say, Blueblood seems to understand me." Rarity kept looking at her copy, feeling flattered by the prince's interpretation of her. "And I have to say that the dress simply looks divine! I must ask him if he, by chance, has some skill in fashion."

Next to Rarity counterpart was Twilight, wearing a long green robe on top of a long black dress with a turtleneck, a witch hat, some small glasses, and a necklace on the top of her turtleneck. "Maybe a visual aid will work better than just words." Witch-Twilight suggested while continuing their descent from the staircase. "Besides, it will probably be best if we clear everything up before explaining the plan."

"Ah…Why does Blueblood think of me as a witch?" Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion "I mean, I dressed as one once for Nightmare Night, but I never told him about that."

Ahead of both of them was Pinkie Pie, who was sliding down the stairs' railing without a care in the world. She looked like some sort of DJ, with only one headphone on her right ear, dreadlocks instead of her ordinarily wobbly hair and tail, gathered together in a bun, making an odd ponytail, robotic blue legs, with rollerblades for shoes, a pink workout shirt without sleeves and what looked like some sort of sonic cannon in one hand.

"Hi me!" DJ-Pinkie waved at her copy, who replied with eagerness, "Would you like to have a dance party?"

"Would I?" Pinkie was about to take her up on that offer when Cowgirl-Applejack lifted her up, holding her sides, like a doll. "Sorry, partner, can't afford to get sidetracked, and you need to see this" She carries Pinkie to the middle of the room as they both awww in disappointment.

"Bizarre interpretations indeed your highness," Garra commented. They followed Witch-Twilight, who marched towards the middle of the room while extending both hands, to levitate a big chunk of the foliage and debris from the floor, revealing an engraved circle beneath it.

"And you haven't seen the half of it yet," Luna replied in a worried tone.

"I suggest you prepare yourself, what you will see next might surprise you" She warned the original group before her horn and hands glowed purple as she took control of the flora. They all began to move their roots before moving towards the circle and started to spin around and upwards until they wove a hollow pillar of flora with stairs leading to the roof.

"Twilight and I can explain things from here, the rest of you go to the meeting room and wait for us, we will be there soon enough" Knight-Fluttershy started to issue orders confusing the group as Cowgirl-AJ let go of Pinkie Pie, and they all left for the second floor.

"Ta-ta darlings! See you soon." Formal-Rarity waves at them before leaving, her friends not saying anything else, and Pinkie just jumps around the walls to ascend rather than using the stairs.

"Ok, that was weird," Dash whispered to Applejack while she only nodded.

"This way, please," Witch-Twilight pointed at the stairs as she and Knight Fluttershy entered and started their ascent. The rest of the group carefully followed behind. Once they reached the top, the ponies found themselves in a vast library whose walls were so distant that they couldn't be seen, all around were shelves filled with books, all the shelves, and the surrounding furniture appeared to be reclaimed by nature. The image alone was enough to make Twilight squeak in delight while her friends just gasped in shock.

"I know, right!? This place looks incredible, I mean, I'm not so sure what to think about the grass everywhere, but the books seem nice, and the air feels dry and clean... maybe it copies the properties of a dry forest, giving the place an air of fantasy, not to mention…" Celestia stopped her rambling with a giggle by putting her hoof on top of Twilight's back. "I believe they were referring to that Twilight," She clarified with a smile, pointing to her right.

Following her hoof, Twilight soon gasped as well. Her jaw hit the ground when she saw a giant bed in the distance, but more importantly, how on top of the bed was a giant anthropomorphic Nightmare Moon soundly asleep. Curled up with a tiny red moon in her hands that was cracked like an egg revealing a purple mist inside, she was wearing a clean, simple, and long blue dress—a golden tiara on her forehead resting underneath her horn. A delicate semi-transparent blue cloth ran down her well kept and extended wings and long black sleeves. Her mane and tail were unusually long and straight, only occasionally moved in a nonexistent breeze. Some children's pictures depicting her and Blueblood were spread all over the headboard on her bed, and into some in a bookshelf beside it. "Everypony, meet our creator and the architect of this safe haven for dreams and memories alike. Blueblood's interpretation of Nightmare Moon made entirely from the portion of Luna's magic that he took from the moon." Witch-Twilight then turned to them with a knowing smile "She's the key to solving all of our problems in one swift move."


	71. Journey To The Subconscious Part 2

**Journey To The Subconcious (part 2) **

After checking that no one was using the room, the day's monarch entered, closing the curtains and locking the door before kneeling in front of the bed, finally letting go of her mask to whimper and cry.

Not too far from her, Blueblood watched her sob in pity before closing his eyes in anger and then turned away. "Are you enjoying this Nightmare! Seeing my aunt suffer pleases you?! Is that why you are showing me this?! You are pathetic!" He yelled at the darkness only to be a slammed into the ground for his troubles as Nightmare appeared in front of him pressing her hoof against his neck

"Watch that tongue, young man, before I rip it out," She warned before pulling away and pointing at Celestia once more, "You think she's so perfect and wise and lovable? Let's see if you can still say that after you see this."

"Another nightmare? You think it will be that easy to turn me against my own family?" To Bluebloods confusion, Nightmare only smirked at him before vanishing in a puff of smoke again. "Not this time, as my heir, you would see right past that. No, this right here, sweetie, is Celestia's true face."

Without warning Celestia began to scream to the four winds as her horn discharged a massive wave of magic, making the prince do a double-take at her actions as she kept sobbing for a bit longer before standing up and walking out of the room, marching back to the main hall, while everything else remained still.

"What…what did you just do?" Blueblood questioned as Celestia stopped to see her sister approaching her room occasionally sniffing. "I'm so sorry, Luna. I thought I learned when I sent you away" She put her right hoof on her cheek, "I tried, I really did, and yet once more, I doomed another loved one into an eternity of torment." She wiped a tear from her eye. The drop remained in the air as she advanced.

Blueblood regarded the tear still in mid-air without moving until his eyes widened in realization. "She froze time," He whispered to himself before feeling a hoof on both shoulders.

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" The prince heard Nightmare's voice in his ear as he tried to push away only to be met by more purple fog. "How many times do you think she has pulled that trick?"

He kept swinging his hooves around, trying to find the mare in question, " On how many occasions do you think when she's been embellish as a brilliant strategist where in reality she only took a 'time out'?" Eventually, he hit something and found a door in front of him being lightly pushed open by Nightmare Moon, who grinned at him "And what line of thinking do you think she has when no pony is looking?"

Confused he watched as Celestia just kept weeping at his frozen version, while continuing to pet Owlowiscious "This isn't right, it wasn't supposed to be like this" Celestia confessed earning the attention of Blueblood "I wanted a star over but not like this, not this way" She cleaned her face before glaring at the prince "You may have his body, but you are not him! You are not the colt I raised!"

Her words cut deeply as the prince could feel a tear forming in his eye, "Auntie."

"Wait! It gets better," Nightmare remarked as she forced him to continue watching.

"I…I can make things right, I need to make things right! I'm not going to wait another thousand years! I will fix this mess, right here and now! One day is all I need," She proclaimed to herself before leaving the room, confusing the prince. "Where is she going?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Nightmare encouraged him, appearing next to him, and pointing forward into the darkness. The prince remained wary of her but advanced regardless as she marched forward next to him.

Meanwhile at the refugee hideout

"Wait, wait, wait a minute. Let's back up a moment here." Dash pleaded to Witch-Twilight hovering next to her. "You are telling us that… _that _sleeping Nightmare Moon right there" She pointed at the mare in question, "Is the actual Nightmare Moon?"

"If we are going by technicalities, then princess Luna is the real Nightmare Moon," Witch-Twilight remarked as Luna picked up one of the children's pictures to carefully look at it before returning her attention to her copy unsure what to think.

_Nephew, is this really how you see me?_

"Our creator and the one giving you trouble are more akin to pieces of her magic, both recent and old residual ones. As you can see, ours is the most recent magic that the princess had."

"So, that is princess Luna with the face of Nightmare Moon?" Dash asked again, "Ok, now I'm confused."

"Just think of her as Luna, it makes things easier, although I would hardly consider that Tantabus Nightmare Moon. That other piece is just leftover magic merged with the emotions from an old confrontation." Knight-Fluttershy sighed and then looked out a window, "A fusion that resulted in that, strange semi-autonomous thing." She clenched her fist in anger.

"Semi-autonomous is a stretch Flutterknight. If I were to guess, I would think that she is closer to a parasite." Witch-Twilight clarified equally angered "All she ever did when she appears was deny Blueblood a chance to sleep by haunting him with nightmares and kept whispering in his ear each time he wasn't sure of himself, so she could keep feeding off his negative emotions to regain power and reclaim the memories that made her in the first place."

"Blueblood…why didn't you tell anyone?" Fluttershy whispered to herself as she looked at one of the pictures in pity.

"And once she remembered, the mare didn't waste time trying to complete her original plan, only worse."

"Only worse?" AJ repeated, "What could be worse than an eternal night?"

"Eternal darkness," Witch-Twilight was quick to answer. "This Tantabus might look like Nightmare and think she is the mare in question, but in reality she is just a monster, plain and simple, one with the mentality of envy as the only thing in her head, that is why she is doing all of this. She's just a cheap, twisted and toxic version of everything you have done. She envied your original plan, so she decided to recreate it with a 'better' version of eternal night." Witch-Twilight summarized while looking at Luna as she got even more unnerved.  
"She envies you, so she will prove to be a 'better' aunt, to Blueblood."

"She is going to what?!" Celestia gasped in horror.

"And judging by how volatile that parasite is, maternal it not exactly what I picture when I think of her 'being an aunt.''"

"…I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her right now! If she dares hurt my nephew, I swear I'm going to…" Luna growled out while starting to flash white and was preparing to leave with her sister not too far behind when the pair of antropormorfic mares stopped them both. "Whoa there, I'm with you, princesses. Trust me, I want a piece of her as well, but first, we need to give back control of this place to Blueblood." Flutterknight kept holding both mares as Witch-Twilight used her magic to prevent them from spreading their wings.

"What do you mean, sugar cube?"

"That is what we were going to say next. She is also envious of Blueblood. For the love he has for his aunts. So when she took over, she also severed the connection he had to our Luna and covered the moon. So Blueblood had no choice but to establish a link with her, or rather, she is forcing him to stay linked to her and refusing to let him become Blood Moon. That is how she made this dome and all those nightmares. She forces him to make them; that is why our creator made us and this place. She's worried sick for Blueblood as much as you are. We don't know how much time left before he starts to snap. She needs to see him and know he's safe again. Do you understand what I'm saying? Our Nightmare Moon is begging you to save him and let her hold him in her arms again. She sent us to find you because she needs your help. We are her way of asking for help." Witch-Twilight explained surprising everyone with the revelation.

At that moment with Blueblood

After walking endlessly through a dark void, both prince and Nightmare finally find Celestia standing in front of a giant black door with some strange purple inscriptions on its frame, surrounded by dead weeds, spiky rocks and most impressive of all, a massive three-headed dog who appeared to be immune to Celestia magic.

"Hello, Cerberus" Celestia greeted the dog with neutrality as the dog just regarded her with curiosity. "Please don't intervene. I have business with your master."

"No, this can't be, she is not thinking…" Blueblood shook his head in horror as, by her command, the dog stepped aside and allowed Celestia in as she effortlessly opened the door with her magic and stepped inside, closing it soon after.

"I…I've seen enough," Blueblood stated, turning around preparing to leave as Nightmare kept taunting him. "Whatever is the matter, dear? Don't you want to see more of your so-called pure aunt? Don't want to see how she heroically…performs shady business? Hmm? If she's as perfect as you think she is, what are you so worried about?"

He stopped keeping his head low and away from the door. "This is exactly how that mare truly is, never owning to her own mistakes. She just feels bad and patches things up. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Like it makes everything ok!"

"Ok, enough!" Blueblood glared at her in frustration, "What the hell is all of this?"

"A thousand years Blueblood! One THOUSAND years. On the moon! Away from everyone for so long that ponies didn't know if you truly even exist. A millennium of her procrastinating and doing nothing to fix the problem. She cast her own sister away, what's stopping her from doing the same to you the very second you step out of line?"

She forced him to look back at the door. "For pony's sake, what guarantee do we have that she isn't preparing this scenario right now?" She bellowed out before showing him small snips of Celestia's memories in the form of floating broken mirrors spinning around him, depicting Celestia as she made her way to a cliff's edge. "Just look at this, look at it, and tell me if she still can be trusted?"

"You know why I'm here" Celestia stated authoritatively to the void in front of her

"I can't allow his soul to leave this place…" A booming voice replied to Celestia as glowing eyes appeared from the darkness and glared at her.

"This…this isn't real" The prince mumbled to himself, "It's just another nightmare."

"…I will not leave empty hooved…" Blueblood kept hearing pieces of memories as she stared down the giant eyes.

"If you truly wish to set him free…" Suddenly the eyes appeared in front of Blueblood, "…what, do you offer in exchange?"

From the surprise, Blueblood took a step back. They both were back in the castle's ruins in yet another room, an abandoned library judging by the books scattered around the two. In the corner sat two big picture frames, one showing Celestia's image, still pristine despite its age, while the other held Luna, reclaimed by nature and covered by fungus. Blueblood was only able to tell because one of her hooves was barely visible near the bottom.

"It isn't fair, don't you think?" Nightmare regarded the portrait of Celestia with a stern eye "We work so hard. We try our best to be accepted, but she will always get the glory no matter what we do." Her gaze turned into a glare before a burst of magic set the portrait aflame. "Why is she the only one deserving of the attention?! What does she have that I don't? If others gave me a chance, I could prove to be a princess just as good as her. No, I can even be an even better princess."

She smiled sweetly and slowly walked toward Blueblood, who only looked down, trying to calm down and reason out his situation, "As well as a better aunt, I can grant you a real future and take all that pain and fear away." She asserted, slowly lifting his chin to look her in the eyes, "Would you be willing to give me that chance?"

The prince stared at her with anger, but beneath that, she could see insecurity and fear "I...I already have a future…"

"Do you?" She waved her hoof around, and the door to Tartarus reappeared and opened, "Care to indulge me by finding out what kind?"

" I told you, I don't want to see more."

Losing her patience she growl in frustration "You stubborn, naive little colt, don't you see I'm trying to save you?!" She forcefully grabbed his right hoof and started to drag him inside "Those mares don't deserve you, I see you for what you are, and I see potential, they see what you are, and see danger and a treat! I have the evidence right there to prove it, and yet you still refuse to see reality?

"I said no."

"I'm done with tolerating your tantrums. You will see that mare for what she is, young man, whether you like it or not, now move it!"

"No!" The prince yelled in anger and anguish, shooting a beam of light at her chest that forced her to let go and take a step back from the suddenness of the attack. Not wasting any time, the prince turned around and fled from her as quickly as possible while Nightmare kept looking in his direction.

"Brave…yet pointless" She sighed, and then light shined out from her horn, summoning hundreds of chains from the ground that ensnared Blueblood and slammed him into the ground immobilizing him instantly. "Please don't get the wrong idea dear, I might love you, but that doesn't mean I'm above disciplining, rebellious behavior." She calmly walked forward as he tried to wriggle out of his restraints until Nightmare was right in front of him with a smirk. "It's almost cute watching you struggle. It seems that you keep forgetting something important, Blueblood, heir, or not you are still merely a prince." She leaned in closer to him. "While I'm your goddess." her horn glowed even brighter, and her eyes began to shine white as well. "A fact that I will be more than happy to teach you if you keep testing... my... patience."

Suddenly, the restraints tightened, and it felt like the gravity around Blueblood was increasing, making the chains heavier by the second. The prince's mind went into overdrive as his adrenalin spiked, and his fear started to sink in. He desperately tried to think of some way to escape, eventually looking at the still-burning painting and coming up with an idea as he closed his eyes and charged his horn. Making Nightmare increases the pressure on him.

"Don't bother teleporting, those restraints will follow suit the moment you try, besides you know I'm right, I can see it in your eyes. You never once asked yourself what will happen to you after you're done cleaning your predecessor's messes. Tell me, did you ever wonder why you wanted wings in the first place? Admit it Blueblood, deep inside, you envy those mares just as much as I do, and you crave a taste of the same power that they enjoy every single day. Tell me, what's so wrong in seeking it out?"

Blueblood's horn stopped shining, and Nightmare ceased feeding the magic into the gravity spell, dissipating its effect instantly. "You are right," Blueblood whispered

The mare started to smile again "Do I finally get through to you?" She quickly dismissed the chains as he nodded.

"The idea of being an alicorn is…enticing. And been Blood Moon felt nice, the rush of power. The sense of confidence and freedom it granted me, I felt like I could do anything."

"Right?" She chirped out, pleased while eagerly helping him rise to his hooves clean dust away from his shoulders and chest. "And there is nothing wrong with wanting to have that sensation in our life. It's Celestia, that's the problem. She's afraid of our potential. She will only shackle all that which she can't control. And we are better than that, right?" She extended her hoof in expectation.

"Right, l already decided that no one will ever control what I can and can't do ever again." She nods eagerly at Blueblood's proclamation, "Not my father, not my aunts" He reciprocates the gesture grabbing her hoof before glaring at her. "And certainly not monsters like you!"

Surprised, Nightmare didn't have time to react as Blueblood pulled her forward into a hug while tipping them both off to the side, grabbing one of her wings with a free hoof as they both fell into a hole in the ground that seemed to go on forever until they reach a river of lava with a platform positioned in the middle of it and giant roots running along the ceiling. Blueblood turned to use Nightmares' body as a cushion, absorbing the impact. Dazed but able to rise, the prince took advantage of Nightmare having to recover from their impact by rushing to one of the four giant mirrors that stood on the edge of the platform and jumping through its surface, leaving Nightmare behind as she glared at her reflection in the mirror he just escaped through. Her fury boiled over, and she screamed out, "BLUEBLOOD, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME! YOU HEAR ME?! NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU RUN I WILL ALWAYS GET YOU!" Ready to give chase when suddenly the mirrors all burst into flames and from them, earth pony soldiers clad in dark armor stepped through and charged at Nightmare with their long axes, forcing her to stop and summon a dome of magic around her to protect herself from the attacks, as more and more warriors from the three tribes appeared and charged with a lethal assortment of weapons.

"Bringing a nightmare to life now, dear? I'm touched. Even in your defiance, you just keep trying to be like me. Perhaps I will not be so severe with your punishment once I'm done playing with your toy…"

Suddenly, the entire platform shook violently as pillars of fire started to burst from the river below. From the magma, two tall pillars rose and formed an arch where an even more massive unicorn clad in the same type of dark armor, cape, and longsword fell out onto the platform with a gaping hole in the middle of his chest."…soldiers?"

Behind the corpse, a giant bicorn* stepped out of the portal, his mane and tail were made of pure fire. He was clad in melted golden plate armor with a rough emblem of the sun etched into its breastplate. Two prominent fangs were hung down past its snarling mouth, and most disturbing of all, the torso, arms, and head of a human knight with equally melted armor sat, seamlessly fused with the Bicorns back, with each breath the creature took, flames could be seen from its mouths on the exhale. Both of the knight's arms ended in wicked lances. Each one fused to the knight's arms by the heat surrounding the creature. The points of said weapons smoldered white-hot and left a fire trail as they dragged the ground.**

"You again!?" The Nightmare shouted at the rider.

For its part, the rider ignored Nightmare and started to walk towards the mirror that Blueblood escaped through until Nightmare blocked its path. "Oh no! you will not get to him this time. He is mine now! Do you hear me?! Mine!"

With a murderous glare, the bicorn focused on Nightmare as it flames grew stronger "Niiiiiighhhttmare!"

As the fight continued, the prince kept running in the void until an explosion behind him sent him flying forward until he crashed into the ground and looked back in confusion.

_What the hell is going on back…no, now is not the time to get sidetracked. Focus!_

Finally, reaching the end of the tunnel, the prince exited into the cold of a desert night where there was only sand around for miles in every direction he looked. The only feature he could find was a dried out, very dead tree in the distance. The tree was big enough for him to rest underneath its roots after finding a hole big enough for him to remain unseen and letting him catch his breath and organize his thoughts. I_ need to fix this, calm down, think of what Pudding Head taught you. Analyze, assess, and think outside the fireplace. What do I know? I'm inside my head. I'm fighting a hyper-powerful Freddy Kruger who wants to adopt me, and my family and friends are trapped here. No biggie I can fix this, just need to think._

The prince tried to rationalize his situation, but the fear in his heart was still there and the memories he witnessed, making it harder for him to concentrate. Not realizing that said emotions were making everything around him colder.

_Auntie…what did you do back there?_

The prince start to shake from the cold

Sensing his distress, the interpretations, and the sleeping Nightmare gasped, before approaching the group with more urgency. "We are running out of time."

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked her counterpart in worry.

"It's Blueblood. His mind is in turmoil, which means this nightmare…" Witch-Twilight showed them an image of the city outside as snow started to fall

"…will become even more dangerous very soon" Luna finished in realization and stepped forward with determination. "You are right, Mage-Twilight, the time to act is now. I'm with you."

"Me too," Garra answered, followed swiftly by her sister, who nodded.

"I think we have a grasp of the situation now. Let's work together," Twilight told every one of them with a smile.

"Yeah! It will be like when we helped princess Luna but with Blueblood this time," Pinkie cheerfully replied.

"Good, because what we need you to do requires a lot of trust." Futterknight pointed at the sleeping mare

"That's right. Earlier, you said that Luna's counterpart is the key to our victory. What did you mean by that?" Celestia approached the slumbering mare, intrigued.

"The monsters that the Tantabus made are all enchanted so as to provoke fear in you and grow stronger from it. As you are right now, it will be impossible to get closer to her. And the further we go from our creator, the easier it will be for the parasite to control us."  
Witch-Twilight explained before she tapped the bed.

"But if we work together, we can cover each other's weaknesses. All you need to do is fall asleep in this bed, and Nightmare can provide you with a portion of her magic so the monsters can't feed off you, and the Tantabus will be unable to control us."

"And in doing so…, we will become ponies of shadows?" Rarity questioned unsure about the idea.

"It would only be temporary, and until we bring said magic back to Blueblood, we promise that you would be in complete control the whole time." Witch-Twilight clarified, "Please, we want to help; you can trust us."

Everyone kept quiet, still not entirely sure of what to do until Fluttershy and Luna stepped forward. the latter regarded her counterpart with a seriousness burning in her eyes. "I still have my reservations, but if my nephew trusts you, so will I." She then laid down and closed her eyes on the bed.

Fluttershy only smiled, remembering a small memory of hers "I'm not afraid" She follows Luna's example and lays down, the rest of the group followed suit and tried to relax as much as possible.

"Thank you, everypony," witch-Twilight smiled in gratitude. "Don't worry. The process will be quick and painless" As she said that, the mane and tail of the sleeping Nightmare started to move and cover the group's foreheads with her hair as stars in it moved towards the entire group.

"I will go tell the others, the plan is a go, and to get ready. Tonight the nightmares roam free."

**Author's Note:**

*Unicorn with two horns, it some stories it is said that unicorns are associated with complete purity while bicorns represent absolute corruption.

**A fire knight Nuckelavee: a horrifying interpretation of a monster from Scottish folklore, who has the upper half of a human body merged to the back of a giant horse, and it said that cause calamity wherever it marches.


	72. Journey To The Subconscious Part 3

**Journey To The Subconcious (Part 3) **

As the temperature of the castle kept falling, the monsters of Nightmares kept patrolling the hallways, in search of their prey, none of them aware of how they too were being hunted from the shadows until it was too late, as two humanoid creatures with snakes had their heads blasted or bitten off by a giant wolf as the small group advanced, doing whatever they can to be as silent as possible.

"So, are we back at the castle, or is this just another dream?" Applejack questioned as everything seemed reasonable again minus the monsters roaming the castle. Both she and her friends were now sporting a darker shade in their fur, fangs, reptilian eyes, and waving manes and tails, as well as being taller than usual.

"You could say that you are closer to being awake partner" Her counterpart answered, "Think of this dream like three levels of an underground bunker. When that varmint tossed you inside, she placed you at the bottom of this place. Where she has complete control over space and dictates what is and isn't real. The second sub-level is where dreams become reality. Like the assembly line of any factory, in here, she can turn thoughts into monsters, but that is all she can do. And finally, the first level where we have headed. That's the root source of this whole place, the original dream. In there, things work like any other dream you have visited before princess Luna, so once there, you are home free." Her counterpart explained as they made their way to their destination

_So during his fight, Blueblood was using the second level and only moved to the third briefly?_ Fluttershy pondered, remembering the prince's duel with the Jet Set and Upper Crust.

"Finally, some normality, I was starting to lose my mind with all that weirdness back there" Dash voiced her frustration. "So, if we are back at the ruined castle, then all we have to do now is get the elements and blast Nightmare away, right?"

"Not so fast there rookie, like the Sheriff, said, we are in the second level, and the elements are probably outside the building. The parasite in her paranoia made sure to keep you as far away from them as possible."

"Of course, she did. Well then, I suppose we will only have to fight our way out and then kick her flank."

"Now you're talking my language," Robo Dash and Dash fist-bumped at the prospect as they continue flying.

"This is fascinating," Twilight mentioned as she merged with a close-by shadow. "The nature of this shadow magic is something else. I have never experienced this before, it's oddly soothing, while at the same time invigorating, princess Luna by chance is this…?" Twilight inquired, exiting the shadow.

"…I will stop you right there, Twilight," Luna stopped her with a glare before she leep onto another humanoid snake monster. By the particularly brutal way Luna disposed of it, one could tell that she was venting her anger. Unlike the others, when Luna and Celestia took the magic into themselves, the only visible change in their forms was that their coats became gray. "This is nothing like what happens when I transform. Furthermore, I will appreciate it if we don't discuss the subject at the moment. This is hard enough for me, and I don't want to add more to it."

"Oh…right, sorry" Twilight ears flattened in guilt and embarrassment for almost asking about a delicate subject

"I understand that you are curious, Twilight. I have several questions myself." Celestia calmed her down as they continued on their way. "Maybe we can talk about it when the times are less dire, and we all have calmed down a bit, but for now, we still need to solve this problem."

"You are right, princess. This is no time to get sidetracked." they kept moving until they all reached the throne room. There in the middle of the hall, Blueblood was laid out on the floor, engulfed in a semi-transparent purple tower of mist shaking occasionally.

"Blueblood!"

"Careful now," Flutterknight warned, stopping Celestia as she saw her nephew "That mist is there for a reason. If you touch it or try entering his dreams with that mist there, you will be tossed right back into the nightmare you were before. To say nothing of the fact that the parasite most likely has some form of alarm on it. The moment we try something, she will detect us and throw everything she has at us."

"Meaning this will require delicate touch darlings," Formal Rarity finished speaking for Flutterknight.

"So we need to divide our forces in two, right? One group takes care of the mist while the other buys as much time as possible?" Daga looked back at the entrance alongside her sister.

"Well, actually, we were also thinking of the princess." DJ Pinkie turned to look at Luna, who stared back in confusion. "Your body is somewhere in this level too your highness, soundly asleep as well, and acting as a secondary power source to make the monsters unstoppable."

"The living fart is using you like a battery. It's clear that it will be well defended too, but if a third group goes with you and recovers it, her control will start to crumble in a matter of minutes. That would give us a chance to re-establish order soon after." Robo Dash mentioned.

"I see, the idea is to stretch her attention thin, am I right? Synchronized attacks at equally important targets, so that she has no choice but split her forces, or sacrifice one" Daga deduced

"Exactly" The Sheriff nodded "The first wave will be the hardest one, but if we split forces, we increase our chances of winning one way or another" She then drew out her weapons, "My forte is mostly long, and middle-range attacks, but I can get along in close combat so I will go with the searching team. I can give you support from the back and tell y'all if the varmints are closing in behind us."

"Same here, I'd like a chance to pummel some monsters," Robo Dash adds.

"Luna, I feel terrible for falling for Nightmare's tricks and not noticing when she was controlling you. Please let me help you recover your body." Celestia offered to Luna.

"Our chances are better when we are together sister, now that I have more of my power, I'm confident we can overcome any trap she has in store for us." Luna agreed.

"Yeah! A rescue mission," DJ Pinkie invited herself along, hugging Celestia's neck.

"To dispel this level of magic you might need extra help, allow me to assist," Mage-Twilight tells her counterpart

"We have the most experience with guard duty your highness" Daga commented "Please allow us to remain here and mount a defense while you headed inside" The pair of sisters saluted to both of them

"You have our permission," Luna answered with a short nod.

"We will remain on guard duty too," Flutterknight and Rarity stepped forward. "It will be best if we fortify our defenses as much as possible. As for the rest of you, take care of dispelling the mist, elements or not you have the most experience dispelling negative emotions, and with the shadow magic in you, reaching him will be that much easier" She instructed to the group as Dash and Applejack eyed up Formal-Rarity with a raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure you'll be ok on guard duty sugar cube?"

"Yeah, no offense or anything, but fending off monsters might get…messy." Dash tried to use the right words, still unsure.

"Oh, you! I'm touched that you're both worried about my well-being darlings, but there is nothing for you to worry about. Indeed, I prefer not to resort to such a brutish and violent solution…" In one motion, she grabbed the shoulder of her dress and tossed it aside. Revealing a one-piece leotard covering a well-muscled body underneath, "…but I'm no stranger to snapping ruffians in two like twigs if the situation calls for it!" She exclaimed in anger, before leaping into the air and calling forth her magic which wrapped around her body in a glowing nimbus—fading only to reveal formal-Rarity clad in a full suit of armor with blue diamonds jutting forth from her pauldrons. A massive maul with sharp diamonds embedded in its striking faces and a tower shield floated nearby, and she retrieved both up with ease. Returning to the ground, she looked back at the group whose collective jaws just hit the floor.

"Truly outrageous, am I right darlings? Even in combat, my presence is simply captivating!" she exclaimed in pride

Once they recover from their shock, Dash and AJ look back at her friend. "Ah Rarity, quick question, how often do you go to the gym?"

"I will not answer that," Rarity replied tersely as she prepared herself alongside the others. "Ok, everyone, stay vigilant. Nightmare might still have a surprise or two waiting for us," Luna instructed as her group left in search of her body while the mane six and Mage-Twilight circled the prince and prepared a spell to erase the mist. Just as suspected the moment they did that, the fog shrieked loudly, undoubtedly alerting Nightmare of their actions. "Everybody, stay focused, in order to dispel the magic we will need to awaken the prince's inner self, just remember all the times you were at peace or happy, I will use it as fuel to give him more energy" Mage-Twilight instructed. Everyone closed their eyes and nodded as she surrounded herself and the group with her magic. Fluttershy, in particular, tried to recall past events with him. _Blueblood…please come back_

Soon a small figure took form on top of the prince before diving inside his mind.

"Hold the line everypony the first wave will be here any minute now" Flutterknight invoked her warriors once more as they left the room closing the door behind them

"Ladies, let's break some skulls." Rarity calmly said while maintaining her same sophisticated smile and gripping her maul when the ground started to tremble. In the distance, they could see an angry mob with pitchforks and torches, as well as a werewolf, rushing to their location. Led by none other than Gascoigne.

"No holds bar, ladies! They might not be as strong here, but we are still outnumbered!" Flutterknight warned them as a giant archer appeared behind her and prepared his bow, nocking an arrow.

At the same time in the platform of magma

As their battle continued, the once blazing arena was losing its heat as the magma grew cold. The fires around the rider started to dim down until both he and the Tantabus found themselves in a frozen wasteland. The snow began to slow its movements, and at the same time, Nightmare could feel her forces being revitalized by the change in weather.

"Hmm, fear, doubt, uncertainty, such magnificent emotions from my beloved heir, feeding me by the second. Can you feel it, you freak of nature?! I've won! His mind is now mine!" Nightmare gloated as the rider movements slowed even more and became erratic until the cold became too much for it, and he was forced to kneel on the ice, seconds before being rammed into a pillar of ice from one of Nightmares blast of magic. "To think I used to consider you a threat." She enchanted the pillar so that tendrils of ice burst forth and restrained the creature against it before starting to pull it into the ice embedding it deeper in the ice until only one of his arms and the heads of both unicorn and human remained outside, as their armour start to crack. "You and that insufferable wide-eyed brat were the biggest torn in my frog, but now with this much negativity in the air, it will only be a matter of time until I take full control of his mind. Maybe I will force him to watch as I smash you apart piece by piece."

Her threat, were answered with a lance piercing through her chest and pinning her down until the rider lost its strength and let her go. Gasping in shock and pulling the weapon out of her, Nightmare held her gaping wound until ice and scales started to spread from the injury while she glared at the creature. "You little...fine if you want to be smashed to pieces so much, allow me to oblige!" She turned around and was about to smash the rider with her rear legs when a scream alerted the two and filled Nightmare with dread. "No, it's impossible! There is no way they could escape that dream. I made sure of it!"

Without any further preamble, Nightmare forgot the rider and lifted off into the air, "I'm not gonna let them ruin everything once more."

The rider continued to huff as he watched her go. It was only after she was gone that it became translucent and disappeared, leaving nothing but melted or cracked ice.

Meanwhile, at the original dream.

Blueblood continued to tremble from the cold, as he couldn't shake off or rationalize what he just witnessed, making him question himself, and his aunt.

"In retrospect, she did warn you didn't she?"

"Huh?" Opening his eyes, Blueblood, was surprised to see a luminescent, colt version of himself sitting next to him with a curious expression on his face. "Don't remember? She told us that the path of ascension is a brutal and titanic task to go through. Boy was she serious, am I right?" The child commented with a light chuckle.

"Wha…who are you?" Blueblood questioned, blinking a couple of times at his presence, making him smirk.

"You don't know? It was so obvious! Come on! Think, we are in the inner parts of your brain, I'm a child that looks like you, so that means that I am…" He extended his hooves, hoping that Blueblood would finish the sentence, "…my inner child?"

"YAY! You got it!" the colt exclaimed in happiness, hovering in the air, revealing a pair of tiny wings shocking the prince too "You are an alicorn too!?"

"Yep, I'm your adorable and powerful inner child that guards and represents the purity of your dreams and desires!" He replied confidently before landing and drooping into sadness all of a sudden "I used to have two other friends with me too…but then that meany mare appeared one day and tried to get rid of us so she could take over your mind. I managed to escape but my friends…she did something to them, and turned them into your biggest fear." He trembled at the memory before pointing at Blueblood "Blue. You can't trust that mare no matter how much she looks like our aunt. She is simply evil, and the only thing she wants is to control your mind and get rid of what makes you, you. Just like dad tried to do a long time ago." He says worriedly before recovering and smiling again, "But we are smarter than that, right? No one knows mind games better than we do! Nothing she says or does will be able to bring us down!" He exclaimed confidently which only managed to depress the prince again

"What is the matter Blue?" The inner child asked, looking hurt and confused,, "You didn't buy that egomaniac's speech, right?"

"Of course not, that mare is as subtle as a bowling ball to the face. I know what she has been trying to do since the beginning."

"Then why are you so depressed?"

"Because beneath all of her trickery and empty promises, she was right in one thing. I have no future planned out." He confessed feeling remorse.

"Of course you do silly! Don't you remember? Clean up our messes. Earn our title as the prince, and be the best nephew ever!" The kid listed off in excitement.

"That's not a plan, it's a 'to do' list," Blueblood argued back, as his legs were claimed by ice due to his worries. "I mean, let's think about what I have been doing so far, acting my way into a comfortable life? Throwing parties like a spoiled brat? Solving a financial crisis? Finding a way to become a pony of shadows? All I have ever been doing is copying others, my father, my aunts, and even the pony I'm supposed to be replacing. I realized how Nightmare was right about my wish to be an alicorn, ever since I found out about them. I have wished to be one, but I never stopped and thought about why I wanted it in the first place, what if she is the right kid? What if I've only been jealous of my family having wings and am just acting out like a spoiled brat wanting a new toy?" He lowered his head in shame. "What if aunt Celestia really is terrified of what I could become, and that's why she visited Tartarus?"

"And what if, in reality, she is a giant ice-cream mare of Neapolitan flavors?!" The kid added, getting in Blueblood's face. confusing the prince. "Oh, sorry, I thought we were just saying nonsense."

"Kid, I'm serious."

"And so do I!" the colt responded, staring the prince down with a stern face. "Haven't our aunts shown us how much they love us? Haven't they already proven that they would never harm us?…although they might go a bit momma bear if someone else tries." He mumbled the last part. "Hmm? Haven't they? If we are doing the remembering game, why are you purposely avoiding the good parts?!" young Blueblood scolded his counterpart before stomping the ground which transformed the whole place from a desolated desert into a blooming garden in the middle of a starry night, where the tree they were hiding inside moved to be behind the two and in its fruits appeared all the instances his family showing affection toward him, genuine, honest unquestionable love, as well as all his good deeds helping other ponies. Coming clean on his lies, the intentions of his party, the reasoning into why he wanted to be a pony of shadows.

"It easy to play the blaming game with one's self, but as much bad as you may have done, there is also good, so much good to counter it. Starting with your wish to change and be better, so what if you're jealous of their wings? Being jealous isn't inherently a bad thing; it's letting that emotion consume you and dictate your every action that is wrong. Have all the steps you have made been to earn those appendages been fair and square? With no more shortcuts? No more deception or lies to obtain them? Tell me what is so wrong with having that kind of goal in life?" The entire scene was enough to bring a tear to the prince and melt the ice

"My aunties…I remember now, that is why I want to be an alicorn, I don't want power, I already know how empty power leaves you, what I truly wish, what I'm really after is to fit in as part of this family, not as a burden or a spoiled child but as an equal. That is why I trained so hard to be like aunt Luna. I'm starting to remember this place. I made it. This is my first creation as Blood Moon, a gift I wanted to show aunt Luna." Blueblood looked up, and the sky started to move, to form an image in the sky "An homage to her, and her hard work. A demonstration that others see her night for what it truly is. How could I forgot all of this?"

"Because that is exactly what that mare wants. To control your mind, and keep you afraid and unsure, so she could keep feeding off you! Don't you see it? All this effort to keep you down? Refusing to let you go? Getting desperate to make you her pawn? It obvious why she is doing all this…especially considering where we are."

"She is…afraid of me?" Blueblood answered no, believing his realization as the colt eagerly nodded, "And for good reason, that mare knows what is coming to her if she gets us mad. Or worse, hurts our friends and family. Are you going to lay down and let her do as she pleases?"

"No," Blueblood growled out with a renewed sense of confidence, "You are right, this is _my_ mind, _my_ dreams, and I'm _done_ being pushed around. However, she was right about one thing. I _am_ the heir of Nightmare Moon" His eyes flashed, and his body transformed into that of Blood Moon, as the colt does the same turning into a miniature version of Blood Moon with bat wings. "And as such, I must honor her legacy, by erasing that cheap knockoff who insists on soiling her image." He glared into the distance as the stars align and formed a frame of light in front of them.

The kid flew next to him and points at the portal. "Let's go teach that bully what happens when you mess with our family!" Blood Moon nodded, and together, they stepped forward and exited the dream.

While that is going on, the royal sisters made their way through the castle guided by their companions, and Lunas link to her body to find it until they reach their objective in the middle of what used to be the royal garden next to a dying bonfire.

"Everyone stay cool, that varmint left the body as bait for us," Cowgirl-AJ warned the group as she looked everywhere for any sort of trap, Robo Dash going ahead to scout for any hidden monsters.

"I don't see anything here either, but I have a bad feeling about this, girls. It just too easy."

"Agreed, our best route of action is to spring the trap, with the confusion our friends are making. Adding problems for Nightmare might work in our favour.

"Sounds good to me," Robo Dash agreed with a shrug.

"Same," Cowgirl-AJ agreed.

"Ok, in that case, let make some noise!" DJ-Pinkie exclaims as she pointed her sonic cannon at the bonfire and blasts it with sound waves, resulting in it exploding into a cacophony of flames, surprising everyone, as it covered the ground with fire beneath it.

"How did you know that was the trap?" Celestia asked.

"Who puts a bonfire in the middle of an indoor garden?" Pinkie questioned back sarcastically.

"Oh, ho! Everyone get ready!" AJ warns them as she pulls out her weapons when the rider slowly emerged from the flaming ground panting before rising to meet the group. Part of the helmets on the horse and riders' heads cracked open, revealing part of its faces.

"Is that…the rider?" Celestia looked at her companions as they nodded.

"The varmint very first victim and the manifestation of Blueblood biggest fear…" Upon closer inspection, the sisters gasp when they recognize Blueblood's face "…becoming a monster once more."

"I was always a monster" To their surprise. The rider started to speak in stereo using both mouths. "Ignorant or not, how many lives did I ruin? How many families did I deprive of shelter or food? And for how long did I do that, aunties? Did I start at eighteen, maybe sooner? I always listened to my father, and I still did it! And in here, in a land whose economy is centuries behind the one from my world was? Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to consume it all!? I have the attentions of kingdoms, all at my beck and call!"

"Blueblood, how long have you been feeling like this," Celestia whispered to herself, feeling pity for the creature.

"No matter what I try, I will always be a monster, so if I must be a monster, then I will play the part!" He yelled before charging at the group.

As that happened, Nightmare got closer to Luna's body when suddenly a wall of fire blocked her way and preventing her from claiming the body. "What? No, NO!" She keeps blasting the fire repeatedly, but with her power dwindling, and any breach, she made turned out to be too small for her to pass through and quickly sealed up. "I gonna turn that freak into ice cubes once I recover control."

Her worries only increased when she detected Blueblood approaching his own body as well. "What is going on? How is this happening?! If he recovers controls of the dream…" Her eyes widened in horror as she dashed away at top speed to intercept the prince and bar his way by trapping them both in the original dream and refusing to let the prison burst. "Blueblood! I will not be ignored again! Do you hear me? This is my time to rule Equestria! MINE!"

Back with the primary six, the mist started to dissipate, and the ground began to tremble. "We did it! The link is severed. The Tantabus can no longer feed off his emotions. The dream is starting to crumble" Mage- Twilight exclaimed

"Then why isn't he waking up?" AJ questioned confused, as they see the prince twitch, and the tower of mist remained in place.

"Its Nightmare, she's refusing to let him go. Which means the princesses succeed, Luna got her body back."

"Awesome! Then this bubble-bunker thing will collapse any second, right?"

"It's still too soon. The parasite seems to have some hold. She will not go down without a fight. Everyone keep your focus. The real fight starts now"

Everyone nodded and remained engaged in their respective duels, fighting for control of the dream.


End file.
